Unlike many other A-list Hollywood stars, Clint Eastwood made an effort to raise his children far away from the glaring lights of Los Angeles. Now, his daughter Alison Eastwood is speaking out to say that she is “very thankful” that her father raised her away from L.A.

Clint ‘Saved’ Alison By Raising Her Away From L.A.

Alison, 52, revealed in a new interview that she believes her 94 year-old father “saved” her from the hardships that she would have faced being raised in Hollywood. Especially as the daughter of a star.

“Growing up in the industry was very interesting,” Alison told Fox News. “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.”

“I have been living in Los Angeles since 2000, so I’m a longtime Angeleno,” she continued. “I’m a huge advocate for Southern California, whatever I can do to help the community and be part of it. I was born in Santa Monica, even though I wasn’t raised here, and I think for me, it’s just about helping the community and being part of a solution and really just being a great resource for people.”

Related: Clint Eastwood’s Daughter Opens Up About Her Dad

Alison’s Nonprofit

Growing up out of the city allowed Alison to grow up with a passion for animals and nature. In 2012, she founded the Eastwood Ranch Foundation Animal Welfare and Rescue nonprofit organization in Agoura Hills, California.

The goal of this nonprofit is to “not only rescue animals from high-kill shelters but to help reduce pet overpopulation and increase pet adoptions through campaigns, events, education, spay/neuter programs and rescue partnerships.”

“I love people, I love animals, and I want them to come together,” Alison explained. “And I thought this was the best way to make that happen.”

Alison said she decided to launch her organization “when I became painfully aware of the overpopulation problem we had in our Southern California shelters and then everywhere in the country.”

As for Clint, he’s been supportive of Alison in this endeavor every step of the way.

“My dad and my family have been incredibly supportive. We’re all a team. We’re all animal lovers,” she said. “It’s really a family affair because we have all been long-time nature, animal lovers and just supporters of doing good and being philanthropic. So, he’s thrilled.”

Related: Clint Eastwood’s Daughter Reveals Why Acting With Him Was ‘Tough’

Alison Talks Growing Up With Clint

Clint is the father of eight children by six different women. Alison and her brother Kyle are the children of Clint and his first wife Maggie Johnson, who he was married to from 1953 until they divorced in 1984.

Alison said in her latest interview that growing up with Clint as her father was “always fun.”

“I remember getting to do the clapboard before they would start a camera roll in the scene, and I got to help out with craft service. So, we just sort of did whatever we did. It was fun,” Alison recalled. “My brother and I always tooled around quite a bit when we were kids.”

Clint has also given Alison some great advice over the years.

“The best advice I’ve ever received from my dad, at least, was he told me that I should make sure to get enough sleep,” she revealed. “He said, ‘If you don’t get enough sleep, you’re not going to be able to do all this stuff.'”

We can’t argue with that!

Unlike many Hollywood stars, Clint has always shown that he has a good head on his shoulders. It seems that Alison has inherited that from her father as well.

In the end, it’s clear that Clint made the right choice in raising his kids away from Los Angeles. If only more celebrities would consider doing the same!

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