Eastwood's retirement destroyed

Clint Eastwood's proposed retirement from acting was thwarted by the Million Dollar Baby script - because he couldn't resist playing Frankie Dunn.

The 74-year-old star did not expect to be back in front of the cameras again after directing the successful thriller Mystic River - which won two gongs at last year's Academy Awards.

However, his instincts informed him he was the perfect choice to play boxing trainer Dunn in the Oscar-nominated movie.

He tells Britain's Empire magazine: "With Mystic River, I didn't act in the picture and it was a great pleasure to shoot with all the younger players and I thought, 'I'm happy back here behind the camera.'

"And then all of a sudden, somebody gives me the Million Dollar Baby scripts and I was like, 'Yeah, I think I can play this guy, I think I know this guy.' So you never know."

The acclaimed film has been nominated for seven Academy Awards at this month's prestigious film ceremony, including two for Eastwood in both the Best Director and Best Actor categories.