Eastwood clears air on interview

»Clint Eastwood had a lot to say in the interview with Kurier, a small Austrian publication.

- TALYA MINSBERG

Or did he?

The truth seems to be somewhere in the middle after Eastwood, the 95-year-old actor and director, accused the paper of running a “phony” question-and-answer featuring a conversation he did not have.

The interview, first published May 30, included Eastwood's thoughts on the state of Hollywood, his age and his drive to continue working.

On Monday, Eastwood disputed the interview altogether.

And Tuesday, the publication responded by saying that while the quotes were real, they were not from a continuous Q and A interview, but rather aggregated from a series of interviews conducted in front of a group of reporters. It said the reporter should have made that clear.

The conclusion to the confusing saga came after a few choice quotes ricocheted around the internet.

Eastwood said in the interview that “there's no reason why a man can’t improve with age.”

When asked about the women in his life, he said he was not concerned with age differences.

“Although I've always been older than my wives at some point, I feel just as young as they do, at least mentally,” he said.

“And physically, I’m still doing well, so hopefully no one will have to worry about me in that regard for a long time to come.”

But perhaps what garnered the biggest reaction was his response to a question on the state of Hollywood. Eastwood is quoted as saying that he longed for the days when “everyone has a new idea.”