Wayne Kyle – the father of Chris Kyle, the deadliest sniper in US history says he warned Clint Eastwood: ‘Disrespect my son and I’ll unleash Hell on you.’
The confrontation came as 84-year-old Eastwood and star Bradley Cooper met with Kyle to discuss Clint’s latest film ‘American Sniper’. Both assured Kyle they wouldn’t do anything to cause the family any anguish.
‘They looked me in the eye and told me they would honor my son’s memory. That was good enough for me,’ said 65-year-old Kyle.
‘Both Mr Eastwood and Mr Cooper were men I could trust. They were very open and engaging and did not want to hide anything.’
The film tells the story of his son Chris during his four tours of duty in Iraq from 2003 to 2008 where he killed as many as 255 insurgents with his high powered sniper rifle.
The deadly toll makes him the most lethal shot in US military history.
Tragically, the highly decorated Navy SEAL was killed in February 2013 when he was shot dead by another veteran said to be suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome at a Texas gun range.
His death at the age of 38 will form a postscript to the film which opens on Christmas Day and is widely tipped for Oscar success.
Prior to beginning filming in Los Angeles, Oscar winning director Eastwood traveled to Hamilton, Texas to meet with Mr Kyle and learn about his son.
Eastwood was accompanied by Bradley Cooper who as part of his research into the part met with many of Kyle’s former SEAL colleagues.
Although the book had been bought as a movie script before the SEAL’s death, filming began after it and Cooper this weekend said he had only been able to speak to Chris Kyle once.