Newspaper cuts ties with reporter over 'exclusive interview' with Clint Eastwood after the director dismisses it as 'entirely phoney'

Daily Mail​

3 days ago

An Austrian daily has cut ties with a reporter over an alleged exclusive interview with Clint Eastwood after the legendary director called the piece 'entirely phoney'.
The German-language Kurier newspaper came under fire after the Q&A - published on Friday to mark Eastwood 's 95th birthday - turned out to be comprised of repackaged old comments.
In the article, which was picked up widely by American media over the weekend, Eastwood criticises a lack of fresh ideas in the current film industry as 'we live in an era of remakes and franchises'.
'I long for the good old days when screenwriters wrote films like 'Casablanca' in small bungalows on the studio lot. When everyone had a new idea,' he was quoted as saying.
'My philosophy is, do something new or stay at home,' it adds.
In a statement to Deadline magazine published Monday, Eastwood said 'I thought I would set the record straight'.
'I can confirm I've turned 95. I can also confirm that I never gave an interview to an Austrian publication called Kurier, or any other writer in recent weeks, and that the interview is entirely phony,' he added.
On Tuesday evening, the editorial team of the Vienna-based Kurier said its freelancer Elisabeth Sereda had compiled the interview by citing from 'a total of 18' round table conversations with Eastwood.
But since the article was published as an interview and not as a profile, the daily said it would cut ties with the author.
'Even though no quotes have been fabricated, the interviews are documented and the allegations of falsification can be refuted, we will not be working with the author in the future because transparency and our strict editorial standards are paramount to us,' Kurier said in a statement published on its website.
The newspaper had recently published interviews by Sereda with celebrities such as Jude Law and Elton John.
Eastwood 's career has spanned decades, with his first movie role in Revenge of the Creature in 1955.
He starred in iconic projects over the years, including Man with No Name, For A Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Dirty Harry, High Plains Drifter, The Outlaw Josey Wales and Escape From Alcatraz - just to name a few.
Eastwood has also served as a director in a number of projects including Pale Rider, Unforgiven, Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, Letters from Iwo Jima, Gran Torino and Flags of Our Fathers and more.
He also starred in Pale Rider, Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino in addition to directing.
His most recent project, Juror No. 2 - which he directed - was released in November 2024 and starred Nicholas Hoult. J.K. Simmons and Toni Collete.
The last film he appeared in (which he also directed) was Cry Macho in 2021.
Scott said he was 'doing good' and said that 'he's a survivor, a trouper,' explaining that his father doesn't complain.
'He was born coming out of the Great Depression, and then he was young during World War II. He saw a lot of struggle.'
Last year, Scott told People some advice his dad told him in regards to his acting career.
'Follow your gut,' he said.
Eastwood's son Scott Eastwood spoke out about his father recently.
The 39-year-old actor - who is the spitting image of his father - was asked by People how his father was doing nearly a year after Eastwood's girlfriend of 10 years, Christina Sandera died at age 61 following a heart attack.