Miami Living Magazine features the best Miami has to offer. Click on any magazine below and enjoy. You can download our free app on iTunes. Ideal for iPad and iPhone users.
Issue link: https://digital.miamilivingmagazine.com/i/1530613
In this exclusive interview, Miami Living spoke with Francesca Eastwood, daughter of legendary actor and director Clint Eastwood, about her flourishing career in film and television. Francesca stars in the recently released Warner Bros. film Juror #2, directed by Clint Eastwood and co-starring Nicholas Hoult and Toni Collette. She also portrays WWE Hall of Famer Mae Young in Queen of the Ring. In this conversation, Francesca shares insights into these projects, her acting process, and how she balances her career with personal life. Miami Living: Your father, Clint Eastwood, is a legendary figure in film. How did growing up with him influence your decision to pursue acting, and what key lessons did you take from him? Francesca Eastwood: I’ve always had a profound respect for filmmaking and have considered acting to be an art form. I believe that love and admiration came from growing up on set with my parents. Maybe I would have fallen in love with cinema later on or still aspired to be an actress, but having parents in the industry made it something I understood and believed I could do from a very young age. ML: How was it working on Juror #2 with your father? Can you share some insights into your role and what drew you to this project? Eastwood: Well, I think it’s beautifully simple that what drew me to the project was getting to work with my dad. It didn’t feel like work; it just felt very homey and comforting to me. I’ve always loved my dad’s work, and he’s been so supportive of me working in his domain. It was a nice feeling to be professional for a minute together. ML: You’re also starring as WWE Hall of Famer Mae Young in Queen of the Ring. What were the biggest challenges of embodying such a trailblazing figure in wrestling history? Eastwood: The biggest challenge for me was the thought of wanting to capture what she was like and do her justice to the millions of people who love her. She is an absolute icon, and there are so many people who know not just her career but her personally. I was just hoping I could do something that wouldn’t bother them. It was a bit of a spiritual practice. I always wanted to play someone who really existed and tell true stories, and this was my first time fulfilling a long-time dream. I did a lot of praying to her and about her. ML: With Mae Young’s incredible career spanning eight decades, how did you approach preparing for this role, especially given her significance in the wrestling world? Eastwood: After reading the book Queen of the Ring, I watched as much footage of Mae as I could get my hands on and listened to the extensive interviews she has given. I felt the responsibility of playing her along with the gift of her enduring career and fame. There was an extensive amount of material for me to dig into. On paper, on camera, and microphone, she left