‘His Adam’s apple is too big’: When Clint Eastwood was fired for a strange reason

Clint Eastwood was fired at the beginning of his career! Did he make a mistake? Apparently not, as those who were fired were apparently only judged by appearance! In the documentary Clint Eastwood, The Last Legend of Clelia Cohen, we can hear this incredible anecdote told by her friend Burt Reynolds:

“They fired me the same day as Clint Eastwood”Reynolds recalls. “They thought Clint’s Adam’s apple was too big. (…) It was falling off. I said, ‘Take it out.’ From the side, it’s really ugly.”

in the interview BBC Eastwood, quoted in the same documentary, recalls this difficult period and gives other reasons for his dismissal: “At that time, they wanted to look like their stars, but I am not like their contract actors, their stars, so to speak. Finally, they let me go, they thought that I will not go anywhere.”

Ultimately, both actors experienced public success, Eastwood with Sergio Leone films such as himself and the Inspector Harry series, and Reynolds with action and/or sports films such as The Cannonball Team, Run After Me Sheriff, Deliverance or Full Face.

Guns up! Even in 1984, they were brought together as headliners in Blake Edwards’ fictional police comedy set in the 1930s and pitted against the Kansas City mob.

Reynolds and Eastwood have two more in common: they played in the series The Gifts of Alfred Hitchcock, the first in an episode of Escape to Sonoita (1960) with Stuart Rosenberg, the second in The History of Human Interest (1959) Norman Lloyd with Steve McQueen. star. They also filmed an episode of Fantastic Stories in 1985.