Clint Eastwood Goes Dirty Harry on J. Edgar Set

08 November 2011

Clint Eastwood may be 81-years-old, but the J. EDGAR director personally showed his younger actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Armie Hammer what it takes for a good fight scene.

The iconic macho man movie star turned director isn't slowing down at his age. Clint Eastwood directs Leonardo DiCaprio and Armie Hammer in the J. Edgar Hoover biopic detailing the life of the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for nearly 50 years. In the film, Leonardo plays Hoover throughout his years in government service, and Armie as Clyde Tolson, his loyal employee and constant companion.

In a pivotal scene from J. EDGAR, Hoover and Tolson argue over Hoover's intention to marry a woman for appearance sake. The scene called for the two to duke it out in a hotel room. At a recent press event promoting the film in Los Angeles, Armie Hammer recounted how the former Dirty Harry star showed the two J. EDGAR stars what a real throwndown should look like. Without advance notice, Clint and Buddy Van Horn, his long time friend of 60 years, put on a show -- much to the surprise of the cast and crew. Armie says Clint said to them:

"'For the fight, you might want to do something like this!'"

All of a sudden, according to Armie, the older gentleman tussled on the floor with each other.

"They start rolling around the floor wailing on each other."

They get up and Clint utters "'Something like that!" Shocked, Armie says he could only respond with an "ok." Everyone knew the follow up act couldn't compare to that show by the movie Western star.

Clint joked during the press conference that the two actors modeled their aging character's movements in the movie by watching their 81-year-old director on set. Armie interrupted Clint's assessment of his old ways.

"Who moves better than we all do, so that really didn't help with research."

Don't expect the former movie Western star to take a break from Hollywood anytime soon. The J. EDGAR director returns to acting in a sports film -- Trouble With The Curve, his first time in front of the camera since 2008's Gran Torino.  His next directorial effort includes with a remake of A Star is Born.

J. EDGAR opens in movie theatres November 11, 2011.