Clint Eastwood has made some of the most revolutionary films in his career both as an actor and a director. He has been making films since the 60s and still continues to be inspired and fascinated by the art of filmmaking. While mostly known for his spaghetti westerns with Sergio Leone, he has made some brilliant westerns of his own along with some Oscar-winning dramas.
Eastwood directed the biographical film J. Edgar in 2011, based on the famed first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. To ensure the film was as historically accurate as possible, the director went deep into his research and even went the extra mile, meeting the then-director of the FBI in person. Eastwood and the FBI disagreed on the inclusion of one disputed aspect of Hoover’s life in the film.
The FBI Was Apprehensive About A Controversial Detail In Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar Biopic
Among his sprawling varied career, Clint Eastwood has directed some great biopics that brought forward the stories of remarkable people who made a significant mark in history. Inspiring films like Invictus. American Sniper, Richard Jewel, Bird, and Sully celebrated the efforts of heroes who emerged victorious against extraordinary circumstances.
The most provocative biopic Eastwood directed was 2011’s J. Edgar where Leonardo DiCaprio played the titular founding director of the FBI. The film detailed the heroic acts of Hoover including establishing the FBI. However, it was not shy of showing some of the most controversial aspects of his life including him allegedly being a cross-dresser, questions about his sexuality, and certain actions during his later years.
Eastwood sought assistance from his friend Leon Panetta who was the CIA chief at the time. Through him, the director was able to meet FBI Director Robert Mueller. Eastwood and the film’s writer Dustin Lance Black discussed extensively about the various facets of Hoover’s life, particularly injections he allegedly received during his old age. Black told The Hollywood Reporter that the FBI had issues with the inclusion of this highly disputed detail in the script.
The FBI had a problem with that in the script. Clint wanted to know about it. But it was not uncommon at the time to have a little amphetamine-vitamin boost.
The film also starred Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, and Dame Judi Dench. DiCaprio won universal acclaim for his incredible performance in J. Edgar. Although the film was not well received, it was a hit at the box office, grossing $84 million against a $35 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). The Titanic star earned a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in the film.
Clint Eastwood Praised Leonardo DiCaprio’s Knack of Choosing Complex And Challenging Roles
By 2011, Leonardo DiCaprio was one of the most respected and celebrated actors in the industry. His exemplary body of work showed that he was not interested in approaching work to earn a buck and was driven by his passion for filmmaking. In an interview with The New York Times, Clint Eastwood who directed DiCaprio in J. Edgar, stated that DiCaprio could have easily done franchise/mechanical films and became a big star.
Eastwood praised the Titanic actor for not choosing the easy route and choosing projects that challenged himself as an actor. DiCaprio took up the hard task of playing J. Edgar Hoover who had nothing in common with him. Eastwood said,
Leonardo could make a lot of money making mechanical genre pictures, but he wants to be challenged. And it’s much more of a challenge to play someone who doesn’t have the slightest thing in common with you.
DiCaprio continues to impress audiences with his versatility and was most recently seen in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. At 94 years old, Eastwood is still making films and recently wrapped his next project Juror No. 2 with Nicholas Hoult in the lead. Fans can watch/rent J. Edgar on Apple TV+.
