Tom Hanks reveals the truth about Clint Eastwood

Given his fame and fortune, not to mention the seemingly never-ending wealth of blockbuster films he’s delivered, one would assume that Tom Hanks has seen and done it all in the entertainment industry.

The veteran actor has worked with a who’s who of directors and actors, and his sheer wealth of experience gives him almost unrivaled knowledge when it comes to the ins and outs of the game.

Yet Hanks will be the first to admit that he’d never encountered a director quite like the legendary Clint Eastwood. As per reports, Hanks had never worked with the Dirty Harry star prior to 2016’s Sully, and got quite the shock when he finally landed the opportunity.

In an interview conducted with The Guardian several years ago, Hanks revealed what it’s like to work as an actor when Eastwood’s sitting in the director’s chair. And it makes for interesting reading indeed…

I don’t know about you, but I was quite surprised when I learned that Tom Hanks and Clint Eastwood – two of Hollywood’s stand-out titans over the past half a century or so – had never worked with each before Sully.

I mean, both have featured in so many great flicks over the years that I would have staked good money on the fact that their paths had crossed somewhere in a professional capacity.

Alas, Sully was the first time the pair pooled their creative talents, and the experience was perhaps not how Hanks had envisaged it would be.

Speaking on the Graham Norton Show back in 2016, Saving Private Ryan star Hanks said: “You certainly don’t want one of those Eastwood looks.

“He treats his actors like horses because when he did the 60s series Rawhide, the director would shout ‘Action!’ and all the horses bolted. So when he’s in charge, he says in a really quiet soft voice, ‘All right, go ahead,’ and instead of shouting ‘Cut!’ he says ‘That’s enough of that.’ It’s intimidating as hell!”

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Marc Piasecki / Contributor

Intimidating it might have been, but few can argue that Eastwood’s methods don’t produce results. The iconic actor-turned-director has an eye-catching catalogue of blockbuster films under his name, including Million Dollar Baby, Letters From Iwo Jima, Gran Torino, American Sniper, and, of course, Sully.

The 92-year-old is currently said to be working on his last ever film, titled Juror #2, with sources claiming that his next project could be the final one of his long and illustrious career.