Celebrated Italian film composer Ennio Morricone has revealed that he regrets turning down the chance of writing music for Clint Eastwood.
Speaking to the BBC, Morricone said he said no to Eastwood “out of respect” for Sergio Leone, whose trilogy of 1960s spaghetti Westerns — which helped Eastwood rise to fame — he had famously scored.
“I missed a great opportunity and I am really sorry,” he said. “When Clint called me, I said no out of respect to Sergio Leone, not because I did not like the movies that he did.”
Morricone — who has 56 awards, including five BAFTAs to his name for a career spanning five decades and more than 400 films — was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2007, which was presented by Eastwood. He embarks on a European tour next month.
This article was first published by The Hollywood Reporter