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A life in pictures: Clint Eastwood

BY Anna Walker

1st Jan 2015 Celebrities

Clint Eastwood isn't all gun-slinging Westerns and gritty dramas. These rare photos, taken throughout his life, show the lighter side of the actor. From relaxing on set to dancing with a princess, every photo tells a story. 

1. Animal lover

Clint is a big animal-lover and has campaigned against hunting since 2002. His daughter Francessca recalls growing up in a house "full of animals". From a "rat room", to chinchillas, chickens, pigs and tortoises - you name it, they had it!

Here's Eastwood discussing his pets on the Ellen Show:

 

2. Practising his swing on the set of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 

A feverent golfing enthusiast, the actor even owns a by-invitation-only golf club, the Tehàma Club, complete with 6,506 yards overlooking the Pacific.

The entrepreneurial star also owns a rib joint in the seaside town of Carmel named Hog's Breath, and has been known to while away his Friday nights manning the restaurant's BBQ. 

 

 

3. Riding a pony on the set of Joe Kidd

It may come as a surprise for Western fans to learn that despite spending half his screen career in the saddle, Clint is actually allergic to horses!

 

 

4. Serenading his daughter, Francessca Eastwood

Pictured here playing the piano for one of his seven children, impressively Clint learnt to play simply by imitating records.

His eldest son Kyle inherited his love for Jazz and is now a professional Jazz bass musician with seven albums under his belt. 

Clint meeting one of his piano heroes, Ray Charles:

 

5. Sharing a kiss with his first wife, Maggie Johnson

The actor met his first wife, swimsuit model Maggie Johnson, on a blind date in 1953 when he was 23 - they married just six months later!

 

 

6. A family trip to the Star Trek set 

Clint enjoying a trip to the set of Star Trek: The Motion Picture with his eldest children, son Kyle and daughter Alison. 

 

 

7. Skateboarding 

Here photographed on the streets of Rome in 1964.

 

 

8. Dancing with Princess Diana

Eastwood sharing a dance with Princess Diana whilst Tom Selleck dances with Nancy Reagan at the White House, during a royal visit in 1985. 

 

 

9. Hugs from Clyde

Clyde was the orangutan star of Every Which Way but Loose where Eastwood played a tough trucker with a seriously cheeky pet. An uncharacteristic comedy role for an actor better known for gritty Westerns. 

 

 

10. Bonding over fatherhood with Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold holds his son Patrick and Clint holds his daughter Francessca. The pair were friends as actors and went on to work alongside each other in politics, with Eastwood serving as California Park Commissioner whilst Schwarzenegger was Governor. 

 

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