Back in their prime, the duo of Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds ruled Hollywood for several decades, and even though Eastwood is still going strong to this date, Reynolds sadly left us back in 2018. Even though the two only joined forces for one movie throughout their illustrious career, the two remained great friends behind the curtains, and their history together dates back to their initial days in Hollywood.
But climbing the ladder to the top wasn’t a piece of cake, as they had to face rejection back in their early days in the acting realm, which Reynolds kept on reminiscing about throughout his career.
Burt Reynolds Poked Fun at Clint Eastwood After Getting Fired
Fans know Clint Eastwood as the biggest name in Hollywood, known for playing one of the most badass and beloved protagonists in all of the media, but initially, the actor struggled to land jobs. Recounting old memories, Burt Reynolds explained both of them were once fired from Universal in 1959 for different reasons. For Reynolds, the Studios claimed he can’t act but in the case of Eastwood, the Studios weren’t fond of the way he looked.
But despite facing disappointment, the Deliverance Star didn’t lose his playful spirit, as he recalled poking fun at the Unforgiven Star about the matter. Reynolds stated,
“This is a true story, we were both fired on the same day at Universal Studios, and they told Clint, you know, your Adam’s apple sticks out too far and you won’t get that tooth fixed, that chipped tooth, and you talk too slow. And I said ‘Why are you firing me?’ and they said ‘You can’t act,’”
“So the two of us were walking towards his truck and I said, you know Clint, you’re in a hell of a lot of trouble. He said ‘Why?’ I said, ‘I can learn to act, you’ll never get rid of that Adam’s apple,’”
However, this disappointment couldn’t hold back the duo for too long, especially Clint Eastwood, who went on to cement himself as one of the biggest icons Hollywood ever witnessed.
Clint Eastwood Didn’t Let One Failure Hold His Career Back
Saying Clint Eastwood proved his doubters wrong would be an understatement, as he soon rose to prominence with Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy, which witnessed him playing the iconic Man with No Name. And after cementing himself as a veteran performer in front of the camera, he made his directorial debut with 1971’s Play Misty for Me, eventually landing Oscar wins for both his acting and directing skills.
With reports implying that the legendary actor might be crafting his final project, titled Juror #2, it’s safe to say the world will never witness someone the likes of Eastwood ever again.