Every Which Way But Scripted

Well, at least one important question has been answered. Clint Eastwood didn't know what he was going to say at the Republican National Convention until just before he went on.

“They vett most of the people, but I told them, ‘You can’t do that with me, because I don’t know what I’m going to say,’” Eastwood recalled. [ snip]

It was only after a quick nap in his hotel room a few blocks from the convention site, Eastwood said, that he mapped out his remarks — starting with his observation about politics in Hollywood, then challenging the president about the failure of his economic policies, and wrapping up by telling the public “they don’t have to worship politicians, like they were royalty or something.”

But even then, with just an hour before he appeared on stage, it still hadn’t occurred to Eastwood to use an empty chair as a stand-in for the president.

It's a tribute to the esteem with which we hold Hollywood actors and stars like Clint Eastwood in particular that we're never sure that their improv hemming-and-hawing is "real" or part of the act. (Example: one of the most well-received movies of the past 30 years, My Dinner with Andre--two men having what appears to be a casual, wide-ranging conversation over dinner--was very carefully plotted out.)

Despite the mixed initial reactions, I suspect that Clint Eastwood's "empty chair" bit is the moment that we'll remember from both conventions decades from now. (H/T Glenn Reynolds) © 2012 Stephen Yuen