The star revisits the death of his acting life and career in the meta Netflix film ‘Jay Kelly’.
George Clooney reflects on fame and the ‘Jay Kelly’ what-if story
George Clooney reflects on fame, failure, and the life lessons his father taught him to pursue forever through movies.
- George Clooney reflects on his acting career and the death of his career on Netflix’s “Jay Kelly.”
- The Noah Baumbach movie, about a movie star who ponders whether fame comes at the expense of his personal life, will stream on December 5th.
- “I don’t have to work and it’s a good place to be,” the 64-year-old star told USA TODAY. “When we do that, we want to be able to make sure it’s for the right reasons.”
When Billy Crudup met George Clooney 15 years ago, the aura was real.
“It was very clear: he george clooney “He truly understands the space he occupies and finds incredible comfort in it,” Crudup says of his co-star in the Netflix drama “Jay Kelly” (in select theaters, available Dec. 5).
But flash back some 40 years and Clooney has changed a lot. The man has bombed auditions, including one day after a Francis Ford Coppola reading where Clooney’s agent told him he thought the “Godfather” director was drunk. Unlike the star of Jay Kelly, who achieved A-list status early in his career with a chance first audition, Clooney didn’t find fame until he was 33 as the star of the 1990s medical drama ER.
“It’s too late to make it in Hollywood,” Clooney says. “I’ve failed so many times. I had done 13 pilots and seven TV series before ER, so my trajectory was completely different.
“For me, it’s been a long journey. I probably went to 100 auditions before I got my first paid job. So there’s a lot of rejection, but rejection helps. The more you do it, the tougher your skin gets.”
Clooney plays Jay Kelly, an aging movie legend who, in the twilight of his professional life, realizes that he has been putting his work before his loved ones. This movie is very meta in that it follows the actors. Director Noah Baumbach tailored the film to suit Jay, a native of Clooney’s home state of Kentucky, as a resident star. According to Baumbach, Clooney is also one of the few people who can successfully portray the character. “George has the timeless qualities of a movie star. He could exist in any era of film history.”
The lively and self-deprecating Clooney spoke to USA TODAY at length about his acting career, Jay Kelly’s life, and how he knows when it’s time to ride off into the sunset.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
To what extent do you recognize Jay’s life as your own, including the way he treats his inner circle and the way he demands different interpretations when it’s not needed?
George Clooney: Well, I’m a little different from that. Because when you have a limited acting range like I do, you don’t have a lot of options, so I really hope you figure it out in the first few takes. There are clearly some similarities. The early parts[of the film]are really fascinating, as we weasel our way through acting classes and auditions. I remember being friends with a secretary at this small office, but I couldn’t get into the audition. Once I found out what the audition was for, I called and pretended to be my agent and pitched them to come in for the interview and read the book. If they called back, I would call the agency secretary and the secretary would call me.
It’s such a funny joke that cheesecake is placed everywhere Jay goes. Have you ever owned a rider?
I remember when I was in New York, a driver was mad at me. I was like, “What’s going on?” “Look, George, I’ve been looking everywhere for Fuji apples, and I can’t find them anywhere.” At one point, someone asked me, “Is there anything you’d like to eat in the trailer?” And I said let’s eat some apples. They ask, “Is there any kind in particular?” I was like, “I don’t know, Fuji?” Because that’s all I could think of. And suddenly it appears on your rider. No matter where you go, there are people climbing mountains in search of Fuji apples. And I had to say, “Don’t do that. You’re crazy.”
A little bit happens by chance by people trying to make everything better. There’s an actor who literally only eats green M&M’s. I grew up in Kentucky. I try to stay away from trailers. It’s not the end all, and it’s all, (I’m) double wide on set.
You’ve been through so many different types of roles. What was it like playing an actor?
When you read the script (for Jay Kelly), you think, “This guy is a piece of shit.” All of his friends are people he pays, and he’s like, he’s going to fire them all. I thought about actors who play jerks really well. Danny DeVito was always an asshole, but you liked him. Look at how many movies you still root for Jack Nicholson even though he was a complete asshole like Carnal Knowledge. I focused on making sure this guy actively and seriously believed he was a good guy. If you think he’s an asshole, you’ve kind of missed the point.
What kind of role do you want to play now that you are 64 years old? Are you a character actor waiting to break out?
I’ve been trying to go down the path that (Paul) Newman did: “Okay, well, I don’t kiss girls anymore. It’s getting a little old.” You just want a challenge. I was scared to do a play on Broadway this year (Good Night and Good Luck). There were many lines. I was worried about whether I would be able to remember the lines since I’m 64 years old, but it was fun and I enjoyed the fact that it was very scary. And it’s great to be 64 years old and not know if I’ll ever be able to achieve that in the profession that I’ve been successful in. I’m trying to do a movie with Annette Bening and I’m worried about whether I’ll be able to do it because she’s such a great actress.
So, challenging yourself is the exciting part. It’s a good place to be because you don’t have to work. When we do so, we want to be able to make sure it’s for the right reasons.
Jay has reached the point where he is considering ending his career. Do you know when it’s time to walk away, or do you want to keep going until the wheels fall off?
It’s already falling off. My legs sometimes come off. My father is (almost) 92 years old and still writes. It’s important to stay active. So you’re a writer. I can’t imagine you saying, “I’m 70 years old, so maybe I shouldn’t write anymore.” Being creative makes me feel like I can stay involved and do what I want to do. There’s going to be a “Grandpa’s Gum Bread” part, and I’ll be the perfect person for it. That’s the good thing about my chosen profession.
That being said, when I turned 60, my wife (Amal) and I had a conversation. “Look, I can still play basketball with guys. I can still play with 25-year-olds. I can still work hard and I can still be in great shape. But in 25 years, I’ll be 85. It doesn’t matter how many granola bars I eat. Those are real numbers.”
If you quit your job, you will lose your place in society. But we also need to set aside time to do things with our families and more loved ones. Because both Amal and I tend to focus on trying to accomplish things. We have become much better at spending time with our children. Listen, no one gets it right. I’m not sure. You probably don’t understand it correctly. But we will do what we can. I’m not mad about losing things because my parents put food on the table when I was a kid.
