Hollywood's Clint Eastwood makes end of life confession: 'Don't want to check out early'

Hollywood veteran Clint Eastwood has made an enlightening end of life confession in a rare interview. The Wild West film legend, 95, spoke to GQ before he celebrated his 80th birthday where he opened up about his health and his outlook on life in his twilight years. He told the outlet: "I'm not one of these guys who wants to check out early.

"But when you check out, it's when you're supposed to check out. You know, I take care of myself." The star has remained active even into his 90s. His latest film, Juror 2, which he directed, was released in 2024.

One of the things that spurred the actor on to looking after himself was a tragedy. The award-winning actor sadly lost his father at the age of 63 to a fatal heart attack, which he admitted to Closer magazine "hit like a ton of bricks". After this incident, he became focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

In the GQ interview, the star suggested his diet was nothing special but emphasised that he was careful about what he consumed. He also credited good genetics for helping him avoid piling on the pounds.

He revealed: "The only thing special about it [the diet] is I just try to watch the intake of saturated fats. I was blessed with a reasonable system that just never put on a lot of weight, so I always took advantage of that."

But Eastwood was seemingly modest in his interview. He later divulged further details about how he carefully manages what he consumes. And while it isn't anything unheard of, it is certainly healthy.

In a later interview with Muscle and Fitness, he added: "I've never carried much body fat, but I've always been pretty good about watching my diet. Stay away from carbohydrates, especially rich desserts.

"Keep a scale in your bathroom. Get proper rest. Try to be optimistic. Eat fruits and raw vegetables. Take vitamins. Skip beverages loaded with sugars. Avoid alcohol in excess."

Unlike many Hollywood stars who have found their lives riddled with drug consumption and alcohol addiction, the actor managed to stay clear. He said: "I got all the way through the '60s and the '70s on beer, I just never got into drugs.

"I always thought beer and a couple other things were about as good as I wanted to know about..." He also never shied away from alternative approaches to his health, embracing the practice of transcendental meditation.

Transcendental meditation is a quiet meditation where you focus on breathing for 10 or 20 minutes while listening to a mantra sound. It has been used widely among celebrities such as Ted Danson and Katy Perry.