Clint Eastwood’s Daughter ‘Very Thankful’ for Childhood Away from L.A.
By Movieguide® Contributor
Clint Eastwood’s daughter, Alison, discussed her upbringing and explained why she’s thankful her parents raised her outside of L.A.
“Growing up in the industry was very interesting,” Alison told Fox News Digital. “Although I didn’t really grow up in L.A., which I am very thankful for, I grew up in the Carmel, Pebble Beach, Monterey area, and I feel like maybe that kind of saved me from some of the pitfalls that might have happened when a child grows up with a celebrity parent in Los Angeles.”
Being away from the hustle and bustle of the entertainment industry allowed her dad to be present when he was home. Though Alison’s father would have to do a lot of fanfare when they were out in public, because they lived in a more secluded area, he was able to be a real dad to her and her siblings most of the time.
“I remember as a kid that we wouldn’t get a lot of uninterrupted, quality family time with him in public,” Alison told Fox News in a 2022 interview. “People always wanted to engage with him. I guess that was my real first time noticing that people seemed only interested in him. And of course, seeing his face on the side of buses or buildings. I learned very quickly that other people’s parents weren’t garnering that same kind of attention.”
“When it came time to raise a family, they felt it was important to get out of the Hollywood scene,” she said. “I’m glad they did because it was a very magical upbringing. We lived surrounded by the forest where we had baby deer, raccoons – all sorts of wildlife. And we were right on the ocean. My brother and I would just go outside and enjoy nature. I think that’s why I love animals and nature so much because I grew up in that kind of environment. It’s hard not to appreciate it on a very deep level.”
Now that she is all grown up, Alison has returned to L.A. and has been a resident since 2000. Though she didn’t grow up there, Alison was born in Santa Monica and has always felt connected to the city. In 2012, she founded the Eastwood Ranch Foundation Animal Welfare and Rescue nonprofit organization which works to combat problems of animal overpopulation and advocate for more adoptions within southern California.
“I love people, I love animals, and I want them to come together,” Alison said. “And I thought this was the best way to make that happen.”
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Alison’s love for animals continued, and in 2012, she founded the Eastwood Ranch Foundation, which “aims to reduce pet overpopulation and increase adoptions through spay/neuter programs, rescue partnerships, and local education.”
“My earliest memories of my childhood were helping these animals in need and it was wonderful. I also had lots of pets – birds, fish, a hermit crab – anything that wasn’t an allergen. I was just very fortunate to be surrounded by nature and this beautiful sea life,” she said.
One of Alison’s favorite memories of her father was being on set with her brother, Kyle.
“My dad has a very tight-knit group of people he frequently works with, so it felt like family. I grew up with them and saw them all the time. They were always very welcoming and looked out for us kids. And my dad made it even more fun for us. He would put us in a scene, even if it was in the background or whatever. We got to be involved in his work, too,” she said.
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