Clint Eastwood!
 

Accomplished actor and director. Thoughts on his acting and directing abilities?

Acting wise Eastwood seems to have played the same character from the Rawhide TV series onwards, relying on that special screen charisma that he has. As a director most of his films that I have seen are watchable if nothing special, but a few are superior, eg Play Misty for Me, Unforgiven.

Eastwood is a true movie 'star'. His acting ability wasn't necessarily wonderful, but he could dominate the frame with a single look of those steely eyes. When he's up there on the screen, you can't take your eyes off him, particularly in his roles in Leone's spaghetti westerns.

As a director, he is accomplished and his films very watchable. The Beguiled, High Plains Drifter and Bird are particularly good from his early catalogue, and of course Unforgiven is an excellent film. He is a huge talent and one of the most charismatic men out there, and deserves the accolades he receives.

Clint =)
I love this man, I really do. And the trailer for Gran Torino has only made me love him more.
That movie looks like it has heart. Ya'know...in a racist, elderly, gun wielding sort of way.

Good, solid but limited in both acting and directing.

Acting wise he's not really chosen a big range so it's difficult to pin his quality down and in the films that I've seen him in he's delivered in his roles.

Directing wise I think it's a bit easier. He reminds me of an older version of Ron Howard, although that's a bit harsh. I would say that Unforgiven is probably my favourite of his because it has a richness of themes that I find lacking in most of his other work. Take, Mystic River which I enjoyed first time around but the couple of viewings I've seen since I just had lukewarm reactions to. Most of that has to do with the relatively preditability of the film and direction that felt like a good painting-by-numbers feel to it. He's loved by Hollywood which says more about Hollywood than it does of Eastwood's directing ability.

I love Clint, he is a very good actor!:)

I think we all can agree that Eastwood was his best in his Westerns. No one can beat him in that! The other actingwork he ever did was good aswell, but I must say that he keeps sticking on the same style of acting. I haven't seen anything new last years. It's good he goes into different gernes, but I always see a cowboy in him.
His directingwork is way much better than his actingwork. Changelling was overwhelming! It belongs to one of my favourits, not only because of the story, but also the confidence and ease in the cast was something I discovered in this film. I've seen pure talent in this film.
Many directors can learn from his work! Huuraay Clint!

Gotta love him, like Jonesy said he may not be the best actor in the world but who else brings such charisma to the screen? His Directing is hit and miss, I have loved some of his films, thought others were guff, but his output is better than many younger and apparently more talented Directors around.

He's just the coolest, tallest son of a gun that ever lived on a movie screen. No matter how crinkly he gets, he remains legendary. I'll cry buckets when he pops his clogs but I hope that's not for a long long time yet.

Jonesy hits the nail on the head with his comments. Never the best actor, Clint knew how to make the most of what he had and his brand of grizzled charisma made him an icon across two genres.

I enjoyed his earlier directorial work (Bird is very *********** in my opinion) and people forget that Unforgiven relaunched the Western again in the 90s (would we have Deadwood on the TV without it? Highly doubtful). Of late his movies seem to be a bit ponderous, going on for too long, or drifting towards saccharine sentimentality in the third act...

If you want proof of his star power you only need look at Gran Torino. In his late seventies he elevates what is a pretty sub-standard movie beyond the "made for TV" fodder the synopsis reads like and literally carries the film on his still ample shoulders. You'll forgive that he goes from serious racist to loveable old rogue in about the first twenty minutes and even delivers one of the slowest and most unconvincing punches outside of Eastenders. Hell, you'll even forgive him for singing at the end. He's just that good.