Better Actor or Director: Clint Eastwood

Both [Woody Allen and Clint Eastwood] are far better directors than actors. Each of them have a very limited range as an actor, but expand themselves as directors

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Mubi

Agreed, particularly with Eastwood who seems to be quite aware of this too and often seems to be challenging himself and his image as an actor in making some fascinating films such as Unforgiven. That's not to say I don't love both worlds when it comes to him.

Eastwood is remarkably self-aware in his films, a successor to the later career Chaplin in that regard.

I think Eastwood plays the roles he does - or did - because he's so good at them. The Man with No Name, for example - could you imagine anyone else playing that role? Likewise with Dirty Harry.

I could imagine Mifune playing that role...

Tatsuya Nakadai.

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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.

You guys are crazy. There is only one Blondie. And his name aint Weststeel.

I love Eastwood as an actor. I also love Eastwood as a director. And though this might be controversial to say, I prefer to watch a movie Eastwood acted in more then a movie he directed but did not act in. But Eastwood in a movie he directed too? GOLD!

As for a clear case of a better director then actor I will go with Ben Affleck. Now for an even MORE controversial statement, I like Ben Affleck as an actor. Give him the right role and he does a great job. He was great when he worked with Kevin Smith, I liked him in Good Will Hunting, and while I did not like Armageddon and Daredevil, Affleck was not the reason why I did not like those movies. But then again he was also in Pearl Harbor and Reindeer Games. So the man has done plenty of stinkers. But as a director the guy is out of sight. Gone Baby Gone was great, The Town was fantastic, and he got robbed by the Academy with Argo.

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On the kind of contrary: Ben Affleck gets my award for most overrated director He probably is stronger as a director than an actor, but that's not saying much.

When it comes to Woody Allen, I have no seen enough to comment like some of you guys will be able to. He does seem to be very limited, not that that's a bad thing, especially when it comes to comedy, doing the same role over and over again can be quite effective.

It's difficult to compare Allen with most/any other directors output because he makes Woody Allen films about Woody Allen. What would a Woody Allen generic western look like? A straight, non-comedic Allen Western without a 'Woody' character? I'm assuming he'd direct the actors in the same manner, but I wonder what he'd be looking for?

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

As amazing as I think Eastwood is as a director (Mystic River is amazing), I think his performances in Million Dollar Baby and Gran Torino were Oscar-worthy.

At the very least, worthy of Oscar nominations! Same for Unforgiven.

Good actor. Better director.

Yo, so because of Yoda I'm the author of the thread now? Awesome!

Honestly this is the toughest (better director or actor)

it's very difficult to choose, but I'll go with Clint as an actor

I think he's the only one who's acting and directing talents are very close

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"Beliefs don't change facts. Facts, if you're rational, should change your beliefs" Ricky Gervais

Legendary Actor, and very good Director.

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I love Clint Eastwood as an actor. I've been watching his films all my life. I think his best acting performance is The Bridges of Madison County, if we're talking depth of performance. But of course I grew up watching him playing tough-guy cops and bad-ass western gunfighters, and there's nobody as far as I'm concerned who can match him in those kinds of roles, for exuding coolness every second they're on the screen.

Still, he's a terrific director, and I love his work in the 70s from Play Misty for Me, to High Plains Drifter, to The Outlaw Josey Wales, and even lesser films like The Gauntlet and The Eiger Sanction. In the 80s he tried branching out with less success, perhaps, but the first film of his that really stands out as a testament to his directorial skills outside the normal genres he was associated with was Bird. Bird showed what he could really do as a director when he 100% committed to the project. He would take those same skills and the same commitment and make what I consider the greatest western ever, Unforgiven. What he achieved in that movie transcends everything he's done as an actor, and it's the reason I would acknowledge him as the better director than actor. He followed that up with a very underrated film A Perfect World, which I would rank as his second best film as director.

Unfortunately, I don't think he's approached projects over the last fifteen years with the same commitment and dedication, despite lofty intentions, and thus he's produced a lot of serious but quite flawed films, the one exception being Letters from Iwo Jima. (And no, I do not consider Gran Torino as anything more than entertaining fluff, and quite cringe-worthy at that. Sorry.)

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I may go back to hating you. It was more fun.

I think his best acting performance is The Bridges of Madison County,

Am I the only person on the planet who was bored to death by that movie?

I'm sure you weren't. But I still think it shines as Clint Eastwood's finest moment as an actor, playing beautifully off of Meryl Streep.