Clint Eastwood may be 95, but slowing down doesn’t seem to be on his agenda. The legendary actor, director, and producer has been a staple of American cinema for over six decades, with a career spanning Westerns, thrillers, Oscar-winning dramas, and more.
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Known for iconic roles in films like Dirty Harry, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and Gran Torino, Eastwood has also made his mark as a critically acclaimed filmmaker with titles such as Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, and American Sniper. Despite his age, Eastwood remains active in the industry and continues to work behind the camera.
Recently, his long-time biographer opened up about what keeps the icon in top form, while Eastwood himself revealed why he’s not calling it quits just yet. Here’s what we know about the actor’s health secrets as his retirment plans.
Clint Eastwood’s health secrets revealed: How is he fit at 95?
While many might credit good genes for Clint Eastwood’s vitality, those close to him say it’s his lifestyle that’s played a defining role.
Celebrity biographer Shawn Levy, who wrote Clint: The Man and the Movies, recently spoke to Air Mail about the practices that have kept Eastwood thriving well into his nineties. According to Levy, Eastwood has been a 'lifelong gym rat and fitness freak' and has followed an 'organic, low-fat diet' since the 1950s, when 'alfalfa sprouts and yogurt were considered exotic.' Even in the 1960s, he was ahead of the curve, promoting the benefits of sushi.
But fitness and food are only part of the story. Eastwood has also been practicing Transcendental Meditation (TM) regularly since the mid-1970s—often twice a day, including while filming. Levy wrote:
Indeed, especially while working. All this while playing the Man with No Name and Dirty Harry and other such avatars of bloodshed.
The practice, which uses a mantra to enter a state of 'relaxed awareness,' is known to dissolve stress and improve brain function.
As per TM’s official website, the technique offers benefits like improved sleep, reduced anxiety, and better overall health. While Eastwood—who had a secret daughter—has played tough-talking characters like Dirty Harry and the Man with No Name, Levy describes him as a 'man of contradictions' who balances intense action roles with peaceful meditation sessions behind the scenes.
Clearly, Eastwood's lifelong commitment to wellness has kept him active and that reflects in his career graph too.
What are Eastwood’s retirement plans?
Despite speculation that 2023’s Juror No. 2 would be his final film, Clint Eastwood has made it clear he’s not stepping away from the director’s chair. According to Daily Express US, the 95-year-old has another film already in pre-production.
Speaking to Austrian newspaper Kurier, Eastwood assured fans:
There's no reason why a man can't get better with age. And I have much more experience today. Sure, there are directors who lose their touch at a certain age, but I'm not one of them.
Reflecting on the industry, he added:
I long for the good old days when screenwriters wrote movies like 'Casablanca' in small bungalows on the studio lot. When everyone had a new idea. My philosophy is: do something new or stay at home.
His Sully screenwriter told Daily Express US that 'he will never retire' and even went on to say, 'he'll die on set.'
Read more:
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Sources used:
Fox News: Clint Eastwood's longtime secrets of good health and longevity revealed
Daily Express US: Clint Eastwood, 95, shares health update as he admits 'I'll never retire'
