Clint Eastwood Celebrates 93rd Birthday And Shares Advice On Aging Well

May 31, 2023 by apost team

Actor Clint Eastwood needs no introduction. One of Hollywood's true icons, the legendary actor, producer and director has enjoyed a career in showbiz that's spanned over seven decades. Not only has he left an indelible impression on the entertainment industry, but even in his 90s, he's shown no signs of slowing down. 

Today marks the legend's 93rd birthday, and in honor, we're going to take a look back at his life, career and the secret to how he's able to keep working as a nonagenarian. 

Born on May 31, 1930, in San Francisco, California, Clint grew up in a wealthy area of town, yet despite his privileged upbringing, he got into trouble as a youth and it's uncertain whether he actually graduated from high school.

As a young man, he worked in a range of odd jobs including as a lifeguard, grocery clerk, forest firefighter, golf caddy and paper carrier, before he was drafted into the United States Army during the middle of the Korean War. He never served overseas, but incidentally, it was his time stationed at Fort Ord that led to his career in Hollywood. 

Although the exact story of how he caught the attention of notable people in the film industry is disputed, Clint eventually made it to the Hollywood studios' audition process, and while prominent producer Arthur Lubin was impressed with his looks, he disapproved of Clint's acting. Nonetheless, Clint signed an acting contract in 1954 that included attending drama classes. 

After many auditions, Clint didn't have much luck until he finally got a bit-part in his first movie, "Revenge of the Creature." He persevered longer and continually put in the work with minor roles until eventually, he landed a breakthrough part in 1958 as Rowdy Yates in the western series "Rawhide," which established Clint as an actor in westerns and led to his star-making turn in the Dollars trilogy.

Clint landed the role in "A Fistful of Dollars" — made by a relatively unknown director at the time, Sergio Leone — after his "Rawhide" co-star turned it down. The film greatly influenced the spaghetti western genre and led to Clint working with Leone on two other films in the trilogy — "For A Few Dollars More" and "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." 

The rest as they say is history. Clint's work in the spaghetti western genre propelled him to international stardom and led to his later work in the "Dirty Harry" films of the '70s and '80s. 

Not content with only conquering acting, Clint moved on to directing by the 1990s and has had great critical and commercial success with movies such as "Million Dollar Baby," "Mystic River" and "Letters From Iwo Jima." 

If his long career didn't speak for itself, the number of accolades he's accrued sure does. From Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards and the Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion award for lifetime achievement, Clint has been heavily awarded throughout his life. He's even been honored with two of France's highest civil orders — the Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and the Legion of Honour medal.

Outside of his career, Clint has also had a busy personal life, having fathered eight children in total to a number of different women. He started his own family dynasty, and many of his kids have followed him into show business. The most well-known of his children is probably his son Scott Eastwood, who looks just like his famous dad.

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In 2021, a source opened up to Closer Weekly about Clint's 91st birthday, which he celebrated quietly at home with his partner Christina Sandera while some of his children stopped by to wish him a happy birthday. 

The source also talked about Clint being in tip-top shape, despite his age. He said that the Hollywood veteran spends time outdoors but avoids doing anything "too strenuous." He added, "Clint still golfs …. he likes to take long walks." On top of his physical fitness, the Hollywood legend also "loves food, but he never overeats," instead opting to stay on top of his diet. In fact, Clint appears to be in the best shape of his life, at least mentally, as the source revealed:

"Clint’s brain is on point … he joked that it’s his body that lags behind."

Clint has even shared some advice of his own about aging that he'd learned from a friend:

"I have a friend that is in his 90s, and I said to him, 'You look real good — what's the deal?' He says, 'Never let the old man in.' And he never did."

The actor had more advice when it came to his diet. He said:

"Stay away from carbohydrates, especially rich desserts. Keep a scale in your bathroom. Get proper rest. Try to be optimistic. Eat fruits and raw vegetables. Take vitamins. Skip beverages loaded with sugars. Avoid alcohol in excess."

The actor's physician, Dr. Harry Demopoulos, even praised Clint for the healthy choices he makes every day. The doctor said:

"He never eats fat, he takes his antioxidants faithfully, works out like a demon, and gets plenty of sleep, which is an area that is often neglected in a fitness program."

Considering Scott called his father "a machine about food and exercise," it's no surprise that Clint is still going strong at 93. Happy birthday to the legendary actor!

Are you a fan of Clint Eastwood? Which is your favorite role of his? Let us know, then pass this on to your friends and family!