Hollywood loves a good "clash of the titans" narrative. Usually, it involves two massive egos fighting over a trailer size or a line of dialogue. But when Tom Hanks and Clint Eastwood finally teamed up for the 2016 film Sully, the drama wasn't about ego. It was about horses.
Well, not literal horses.
It was about the fact that Clint Eastwood treats his actors exactly like livestock. Honestly, if you ask Hanks about it today, he’ll probably give you that famous, slightly terrified look he perfected on the press tour. He describes the experience as "intimidating as hell."
The Quietest Set in Hollywood
Most movie sets are loud. You’ve got ADs screaming into megaphones, "Rolling! Quiet on set! Standby! And... ACTION!"
Eastwood hates that.
The man is 95 years old now, and he’s been directing for decades with a philosophy that feels more like a library than a film studio. He doesn't yell. He doesn't even say "action." Instead, he leans over your shoulder and whispers, "All right, go ahead."
When you’re done, he doesn't shout "cut." He just says, "That's enough of that."
Hanks talked about this on The Graham Norton Show, and the clip still goes viral every few months because his impression of Clint is spot-on. It’s that raspy, low-register growl that makes you feel like you’ve either nailed the scene or disappointed your grandfather.
👉 See also: Christopher McDonald in Lemonade Mouth: Why This Villain Still Works
Why the "Horse" Method Works
Why does he do it? It goes back to the 1960s.
During his time on the Western series Rawhide, Eastwood noticed that every time a director screamed "Action!", the horses would bolt. They’d get spooked by the sudden noise and the tension in the air. Clint realized humans aren't much different.
By keeping the energy low, he keeps the performance natural. You don't "gear up" for a scene; you just sort of slide into it. For an actor like Tom Hanks—who is used to a bit more of a traditional, energetic setup—this was a total shock to the system.
The Reality of Making Sully
The movie itself was a massive technical undertaking. It was the first film shot almost entirely with IMAX cameras. You had the "Miracle on the Hudson" being recreated with intense precision, but the heart of the film was the internal struggle of Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger.
Hanks has played plenty of real-life heroes before. Captain Phillips, Jim Lovell, Fred Rogers. But Sully was different because the man himself was often on set.
Sully was a stickler for detail.
He showed up with a script that was practically buried in Post-it notes. He had opinions on everything from the cockpit procedures to the way the uniform sat. There was even a moment where the real Sully noted that Clint Eastwood was 20 minutes late to a meeting. If you know anything about Clint, you know he’s usually the guy waiting for everyone else.
✨ Don't miss: Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne: Why His Performance Still Holds Up in 2026
One Take and Move On
One thing most people don't realize about the Tom Hanks and Clint Eastwood partnership is how fast it moved.
Eastwood is famous for his "one-take" rule. He trusts his actors. If he sees what he needs in the first pass, he moves the camera. This drives some actors crazy—Matt Damon famously tried to ask for a second take on Invictus and got shut down with a "Why? You wanna waste everybody's time?"
Hanks, being the pro he is, adapted quickly. But he admitted that the lack of feedback was nerve-wracking. When the director just says "that's enough of that," you’re left wondering if you’re an Oscar contender or if you just did something mediocre and he’s bored.
Why They Haven't Reunited
People often wonder why these two haven't worked together again.
It’s not because they didn't get along. In fact, Clint presented Tom with the Actor Award at the Hollywood Film Awards in 2016. They clearly respect each other.
The reality is just timing and project choice. Eastwood tends to gravitate toward stories about individual men caught in bureaucratic or moral grinders (American Sniper, Richard Jewell, The Mule). Hanks, while he fits that mold, has been busy with his own directing projects and a very specific run of "America's Dad" roles.
There's also the political divide, though both have been incredibly class acts about it. Hanks is a vocal Democrat; Eastwood has a long, complicated history with the GOP (remember the chair speech?). In today's hyper-polarized world, people try to find friction there, but in Hollywood, "can you hit your mark and deliver a line?" usually matters way more than who you voted for.
🔗 Read more: Chris Robinson and The Bold and the Beautiful: What Really Happened to Jack Hamilton
The Legacy of the Collaboration
Looking back, Sully stands as one of the most efficient pieces of filmmaking in recent history. It’s 96 minutes long. That’s it. In an era where every biopic wants to be a three-hour epic, Eastwood delivered a lean, mean story about professional competence.
That’s the common thread between these two.
Hanks is a professional. Eastwood is a professional. They both value the "get in, do the job, go home" mentality.
What You Can Learn from the "Eastwood Look"
If you’re a fan of cinema, or even just interested in how high-level people work together, there’s a lesson in the way these two handled their collaboration.
- Trust the prep: Hanks knew the script so well he didn't need ten takes to find the character.
- Lower the volume: You don't need to scream to be in charge. The most intimidating person in the room is often the quietest.
- Respect the subject: They didn't turn Sully into a superhero; they turned him into a guy who did his job.
To see the "horse method" in action, go back and watch the scene where Sully is jogging through New York at night. It’s a quiet, atmospheric moment. No big speeches. Just a man haunted by "what if." That’s the Eastwood touch, and only an actor with Hanks’ internal clock could have pulled it off with such little direction.
If you want to dive deeper into how legendary directors manage their sets, check out some behind-the-scenes footage of Sully. Pay close attention to how few people are actually moving around during the takes. It’s a masterclass in minimalism.