10 Ridiculous Ways Actors Got Into Character For Oscar Nominated Roles

7. Clint Eastwood Waited Around For 15 Years To Play The Lead Role - Unforgiven

Here's an interesting and completely different act of dedication that ensured an actor an Oscar nomination - and it's totally different to any of the other entries on this list. This one concerns Clint Eastwood, then, who showed an impressive amount of restraint when he acquired the rights to a little script called Unforgiven. Soon enough, however, Eastwood realised that he wasn't old enough to play elderly gunslinger William Munny and - desperate to star as the main character - decided to sit on it. For 15 years. Yes, instead of opting to make the movie with a younger actor, or just using himself despite his age, Eastwood waited 15 years to get into character - literally. It was totally worth it, of course, because nobody else could have played Munny like Eastwood did - nor was there a more appropriate choice of actor for what is the swan-song of the western genre. Eastwood clearly knew that the success of the film rested on his being the right age.