Clint Eastwood has made a lot of movies, both as an actor and as a director. He is a legend in both professions and the entertainment industry has heavily respected him. He has not only worked with some of the most acknowledged actors but they have nothing but praise for him. Even with such a big filmography, there have been movies that were earlier rejected by some of the most iconic actors only for Eastwood to take them on.
One such role also happened to be his most iconic role to date. Dirty Harry was not only the role that gave Eastwood the boost he needed, but it put him on the board, making his career an uphill journey from then on. However, it almost went to another actor altogether.
Clint Eastwood Did Not Follow In Paul Newman’s Footsteps
When Clint Eastwood first came across the script of Dirty Harry he could not understand why Paul Newman rejected the role. Although he had always been a fan of the actor, this was one time when he chose not to follow in his footsteps. According to an interview conducted by Entertainment Weekly, Eastwood gave a brief about actors he found inspiring, including the Slap Shot star.
Of course my first question was, ‘Why didn’t he want to do it?’ He thought the character was sort of a radical guy on the right, so politically he couldn’t do it. I didn’t see it that way… I’ll miss him. He was just one of those guys you liked.”
Eastwood talked about how Newman was an actor who influenced his career especially because of Dirty Harry. What the film offered him was something he could have never imagined. However, that did not mean that his beliefs would be crashing with that of Newman. Despite his hesitation towards the character, Eastwood went for it and changed his life in the process.
What Made Paul Newman Reject Clint Eastwood’s Role?
There were a couple of actors who were offered the role of Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry including Paul Newman and Burt Lancaster. The movie was something that shed light on police brutality and just how bad things can get. The character of Callahan wasn’t anywhere near a good guy but was used to raise questions on these very topics. However, it was his troubling nature that made Newman step away from the role.
The actor rejected the film because of his liberal beliefs and how the movie was the face of radical thinking. His political reasons came in the way of what came to be known as Clint Eastwood’s most iconic role. In fact, it was Newman who recommended the Cry Macho actor in the first place.