You know, it goes back to the old thing we used to talk about all the time in acting classes when I first came to Universal: They’d say, ‘What would you rather be, an actor or a movie star?’ Everybody used to say they’d rather be an actor, of course. But after you start thinking about it, you say: ‘Wait a second, who gets all the great roles?’ Movie stars. You’re a great actor and you’re sitting there waiting for the phone to ring, and it can be a long time coming. So you kind of have to throw all that out and not worry about what being a movie star is, so you can get the roles with more challenge to them.” Thus does practical Clint Eastwood reflect on the course he chose to pursue in the late sixties. He was not unmindful that movie stars make more money than movie actors do. Clint is never unmindful of money, but it is never his first thought, either. The young actor who prudently deferred part of his Rawhide salary has remained willing to forgo instant gratification in return for freedom of choice (and, of course, a very nice back-end participation in the grosses).
