Clint Eastwood, a beloved and iconic actor and filmmaker, has earned numerous awards for his illustrious performances. Beyond his acting career, he has been involved in politics and symbolized masculinity for decades.

Now 86, Eastwood tends to keep his personal life low-key, though he’s had his share of relationships, having been married three times and fathering seven children. However, Eastwood recently revealed a story connected to one of his most famous films, which he had kept quiet for many years.

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Born in San Francisco in 1930, during the Great Depression, Eastwood’s early years were shaped by his father’s work in the steel industry, leading the family to relocate frequently. He has a younger sister and was named Samson at birth, weighing 11 pounds, 6 ounces. Standing at 6 feet 4 inches, Eastwood later moved to Seattle after high school, where he worked as a lifeguard before being drafted into the U.S. Army in 1950.

Few people know that at 21, Eastwood survived a crash in a World War II-era naval plane in the Pacific. In an interview, he recounted: “I was catching a free ride from Seattle down to Almeda… It was stormy, and we went down off Point Reyes, California, in the Pacific. I found myself in the water, swimming a few miles toward the shore. I remember thinking, ‘Well, 21 is not as long as a person wants to live.’”

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After hours of swimming through kelp beds, Eastwood eventually made it to shore and climbed a bluff to call for help. His harrowing experience was useful when directing Sully: Miracle on the Hudson in 2016, a biographical film starring Tom Hanks. The movie recounts the emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River in 2009, where all 155 passengers and crew were saved.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Eastwood remarked, “Having been in a similar situation, I would’ve opted for a water landing rather than risking a crash where there’s no runway.” He admired Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger’s calm decision-making during the incident, saying, “Anybody who keeps their wits about them when things are going wrong, who can solve problems without panicking, is someone of superior character, and interesting to watch on film.”

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Eastwood added that the real conflict in Sully came after the landing when an investigative board questioned the pilot’s decisions, despite his having saved so many lives.

Even at 89, Eastwood remains a handsome, hardworking, and talented force in Hollywood, continuing to produce exceptional films.