Clint Eastwood knew his 1971 action thriller was a hot potato, but he saw the script as a diamond in the rough, full of new excitement!
Clint Eastwood's appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson – 03/04/1973 – Pt. 01
Is there anyone more emblematic of Hollywood than perennial movie star (and director) Clint Eastwood? With screen iconography that practically jumps out of the big screen and into real life, he has kept audiences enthralled across a myriad of genres and eras.
But he may be the quintessential masculine icon, forever etched in memory as the no-nonsense, border-crossing Inspector Harry Callahan, better known as Dirty Harry. Interestingly, this now-classic role was turned down by a litany of Hollywood who's who, including the liberal-leaning Paul Newman.
Why, then, would Eastwood dive headfirst into such a controversial role that others deemed too hot to handle? Well, he saw gold while others saw coal; he recognized the script's unique flavor!
