It would be easy to dismiss Scott Eastwood‘s rise to fame on his famous last name — after all, he is the son of one Hollywood’s most enduring icons, Clint Eastwood. In fact, though Scott appeared in small roles in his father’s films Flags of Our Fathers and Gran Torino, it was under his birth name, Scott Reeves (he appeared in small roles in two of his father’s more recent films, Invictus and Trouble with the Curve, as Scott Eastwood). In order to nab a lead role, Eastwood had to look to someone other than his famous father.
Speaking to USA Today, Eastwood spoke about his most significant role in The Longest Ride, why his father made him to earn lead acting roles, and what he thinks about his current popularity.
Since he has been appearing in films for a decade, Eastwood admits that he now feels he was finally prepared for a lead role in a major studio film. He says, “I’m ready for the ride. The only thing I can say is that I’ve been doing this for 12 years. That’s a long time I’ve been grinding, trying to be a better actor.”
However, Eastwood wasn’t going to be cast in the lead role of his father’s movies just for being his son. When it came to Flags of Our Fathers, the younger Eastwood recalls, “I hounded him, saying ‘I’d love a shot.’ I went to audition for the lead part, which went to Ryan Phillippe. But they said there was a smaller part there.”
It seems that during the past decade of his acting career that Scott Eastwood was at the receiving end of his father’s grim stares many times. He says, “He was harder on me than anyone. He wanted to make sure everyone knew there was no favoritism. You don’t want to make my dad mad.”
Though Eastwood has received a lot of buzz for his role in The Longest Ride, he confesses that he knows he isn’t necessarily destined to have the seven-decade longevity of his father. He says, “You never believe your own hype. As quick as somebody can be ‘the guy’ in Hollywood, he can be gone the next minute. For me, it’s about doing great work. And then hopefully you keep working forever.”
It seems the desire to work “forever” is something else he’s inherited from his father.
