Clint Eastwood's unease at being older father

Clint Eastwood feels "ridiculous" when he goes to watch his teenage daughter play sports.

The 80-year-old actor-turned-director - who has seven children with five women, including 14-year-old Morgan with current wife Dina Ruiz - thinks he is now a better dad than he used to be, but sometimes feels uncomfortable that he is much older than other parents.

He said: "When I was younger, I was desperate to find the brass ring. So I worked constantly and I wasn't as good a father as I am now, because now my daughter takes precedence.

"I go to the school activities, all the softball games. I look kind of ridiculous out there. Almost everybody's got a younger father than me. But it's fun. I think you appreciate everything when you get to my age."

Looking back over his illustrious movie career, which includes five Oscars, Clint admits he thinks he has done a "nice" job to successfully turn to direction.

He told Total Film magazine: "When I directed my first film, 'Play Misty for Me' in 1971, I thought, 'Gee, if I could pull this off, maybe I could get behind the camera because I may be 78 some day and not want to look at myself in front of the camera.'

"As you go along, every chapter is a new chapter and someday you look back and say, 'I have been doing that.' And it's been a nice journey."