Clint Eastwood denied making comments to an Austrian newspaper that quoted him as criticizing filmmakers for their lack of originality, saying the entire interview was “phony.”
The German-language Austrian newspaper Kurier published the question-and-answer interview purportedly with the legendary filmmaker on Friday.
The article quotes Eastwood responding to a question about the current state of the filmmaking industry.
“I long for the good old days when screenwriters wrote movies like ‘Casablanca’ in small bungalows on the studio lot,” the 95-year-old actor and director is quoted as saying.
“When everyone had a new idea,” the quote continues. “We live in an era of remakes and franchises. I’ve made sequels three times, but I haven’t been interested in them for a long time. My philosophy is, do something new or stay home.”
The interview was picked up by some American media outlets, including Deadline. But Eastwood told Deadline in a statement Monday that he never spoke with Kurier.
“A couple of items about me have recently shown up in the news,” he 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.”
Kurier has since updated its article with a disclaimer that said it is investigating the matter and will provide a response at a later time.
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