Why Clint Eastwood Refused to Attend the Oscars for Two Decades—And What Finally Brought Him Back

Clint Eastwood’s relationship with the Academy Awards has always been anything but conventional. While he is now an Oscar-winning director and actor, Eastwood’s path to the Academy’s recognition was long and winding, marked by a 20-year boycott during which he steadfastly refused to attend the Oscars.

As of 2025, Eastwood has been nominated for an impressive 11 Academy Awards, winning four. However, the actor-director did not receive a single Oscar nomination in his first three decades in the industry. For much of his early career, Eastwood was best known for his roles in westerns and action films like Dirty Harry, genres not typically favored by the Academy, whose tastes leaned toward more dramatic fare. In fact, before 1993, only two westerns had ever won the coveted ‘Best Picture’ Oscar, and Eastwood’s gritty, no-nonsense performances were rarely embraced by critics, with New Yorker writer Pauline Kael being one of his loudest detractors.

Despite his immense popularity with audiences, Eastwood was often overlooked by the Academy. This exclusion led him to express a cynical view about the Oscars and his place in it. In Peter McGilligan’s biography, Clint: The Life and the Legend, Eastwood is quoted as saying, “I will never win an Oscar, and do you know why? First of all, because I’m not Jewish. Secondly, because I make too much money for those old farts in the Academy. Thirdly, and most importantly, because I don’t give a fuck.” Whether or not Eastwood actually made these remarks is a matter of debate, but they certainly align with his attitude toward the industry at the time.

Eastwood’s bitterness toward the Academy reached its peak in 1973 during the Oscars ceremony. He was scheduled to present the ‘Best Picture’ category, but when Charlton Heston, who was to present the voting rules, arrived late, Academy president Howard Koch called on Eastwood to step in. Unfortunately, the scripted material was a parody of Heston’s famous role as Moses in The Ten Commandments, and Eastwood found it to be an awkward and unfunny bit of comedy. When Koch refused to allow any changes, Eastwood reportedly quipped, “You gotta be kidding. Never invite me again.”

In a memorable moment, Eastwood, clearly annoyed, made a snarky remark while reading from the cue cards: “Come on, flip the card, man. This isn’t my bag.” By the time Heston arrived and took over the presentation, Eastwood was visibly frustrated and remarked, “They pick the guy who hasn’t said but three lines in 12 movies to substitute for him.”

This incident left such a sour taste in Eastwood’s mouth that for the next two decades, he kept his word and stayed away from the Oscars. Despite his films like The Outlaw Josey Wales (nominated for ‘Original Music Score’) and Bird (nominated for ‘Best Sound’), Eastwood chose not to attend, reaffirming his displeasure with the Academy and its treatment of him.

It wasn’t until 1993, with the release of Unforgiven, that Eastwood finally returned to the Academy Awards. That night, he walked away with two Oscars—‘Best Director’ and ‘Best Picture’—for his powerful Western. However, the Academy managed to get one final jab in. Despite his achievements as a director, Eastwood lost the ‘Best Actor’ category to Al Pacino for his role in Scent of a Woman. It was the only time Eastwood was ever nominated for an acting Oscar, a bitter reminder of the long road he had traveled to get to that point.

Clint Eastwood’s relationship with the Oscars serves as a reminder that even the most successful stars don’t always feel embraced by the industry that elevates them. His 20-year boycott of the ceremony, followed by his eventual return and subsequent wins, exemplifies the complicated dynamic between Eastwood and the Academy. Despite the friction, Eastwood’s incredible career, filled with iconic roles and direction, ultimately proved that talent and perseverance can transcend the politics of Hollywood.