Original question: “Did Clint Eastwood ever say anything to Eli Wallach after filming The Good the Bad and the Ugly?” Through the years, Clint Eastwood had nothing but the best comments about Eli Wallach. While filming the “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” in Madrid, there were no hotels available between shoots. So Clint and Eli shared the same bed of one of Clint’s friends. That means they must have talked a lot to each other. And, as I said, Clint Eastwood had nothing but positive things to say about Wallach over the decades since the movie was made.
In fact, at his death, Eastwood said: “Eli Wallach was a wonderful guy and a wonderful actor. I have fond memories of us working together.”
Wallach died at 98 years of age in 2013.
Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach together as friends when Wallach was 98 years old.
An aside. Years ago I read that Wallach was puzzled that he was depicted as “The Ugly” in the film he did with Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef. In fact, he didn’t see himself as “The Ugly” but as “The Bad,” in the film. Anyway, that’s what I remember reading.
You’ll also notice, that one poster showed Eli Wallach as “The Bad” and not “The Ugly.” That was reserved for Lee Van Cleef. As a result, Wallach felt people were misconstruing the film and that he was “The Bad.”
And while researching for this question, I guess Clint Eastwood was concerned about Eli Wallach upstaging him. While he liked Eli Wallach, by reputation, Eli Wallach was a far better actor than Clint Eastwood at the time. As a result of his complaints, the producers had to pay Eastwood more: $250,000, 10% of U.S. profits, and a 1967 Ferrari.
I believe this is the green 1967 Ferrari that an older Eastwood is driving that he got for doing the picture, “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly,” in 1966.
Eli Wallach and Clint Eastwood in “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.”