The hit 1970s movie Clint Eastwood was “the only one stupid enough” to make
Clint Eastwood took the lead in the 1978 comedy *Every Which Way but Loose* after other actors in his star bracket avoided a film built around a man and his orangutan companion. He said he liked its humour and its playful take on his screen persona, despite advisers urging him to stay away.
The decision paid off: the article says the film became Eastwood’s highest-grossing release at the time. It contrasts this casting with earlier roles, including the Man with No Name and Dirty Harry, which Eastwood secured after other actors declined them.
- Eastwood chose a comedy featuring an orangutan.
- He said others thought the role was too risky.
- The film became his highest-grossing release at the time.
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Clint Eastwood was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars in the 1970s, known for playing tough, self-reliant characters. His roles in the western films featuring the Man with No Name and in the crime series Dirty Harry helped establish that screen image.
Every Which Way but Loose paired him with an orangutan in a comedy, a marked change from those earlier roles. The film’s success showed that audiences would also turn out to see Eastwood in a lighter part.