Clint Eastwood has no interest in seeing himself on film.

The Oscar-winning director prefers to stay behind the camera allowing others to take center stage, but insists he has no plans to quit acting altogether.

“I leave that to younger actors now. I’m not a prize fighter who has to capture another victory. Since I worked as a director for the first time on Play Misty for Me in 1970, I’ve become tired of seeing myself on the big screen,” the 80-year-old said. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to stop acting, though.”

The Million Dollar Baby star is still determined to try new things, and believes directing films gives him more opportunities to push himself.

“If you’ve done as many films as I have you stop looking back, you’re only going forwards,” he told Germany’s Tele 5 TV station. “As a director it’s important to me to try new things once in a while. And as an actor, if a film is finished you can’t change it and you have to leave it to other people to judge your work.”