Scott Eastwood reveals he took a year off at 40 and became more depressed

About this episode

Joe Rogan sits down with actor Scott Eastwood, son of Clint Eastwood, for a wide-ranging conversation covering mental health, Hollywood ethics, nutrition, masculinity, warfare, and conspiracy theories. Eastwood reveals that taking a year off at age 40 made him more depressed, contradicting the idea that overworked people simply need rest. He also exposes unethical behavior in Hollywood, describing a director who abandoned a film project mid-production and refused to reimburse investors. The conversation shifts to the American food industry, with Rogan highlighting how U.S. bread contains chemicals banned in Europe and China, including chlorine gas and potassium bromate. Eastwood discusses his new World War II film Lucky Strike and his emotional encounter with 107-year-old Colonel Herbert Irving Stern, a Battle of the Bulge veteran who validated the film's accuracy. Rogan and Eastwood criticize the term toxic masculinity, arguing it conflates criminal behavior with protective male virtues like strength and responsibility. They also discuss Guy Ritchie's unconventional directing style, in which he rewrites scripts in real time on set. The episode takes a conspiratorial turn when Rogan repeats allegations that Thomas Crooks, the attempted Trump assassin, had his apartment professionally scrubbed and possessed multiple phones with no social media presence, suggesting intelligence involvement. Eastwood shares his belief that psychedelics and extreme sports like surfing provide unmatched mental clarity by forcing individuals to confront fear and mortality. The conversation underscores both men's distrust of institutions, celebration of traditional masculinity, and belief that purpose and discipline are essential to well-being.