Hollywood star George Clooney has officially ruled out returning to the romantic lead roles that helped cement his place as one of the industry’s most beloved leading men.
The 63-year-old Oscar winner, who has starred in films such as One Fine Day (1996) and Ticket to Paradise (2022), says he has no interest in competing with younger actors for those roles anymore.
“Look, I’m 63 years old,” Clooney said in an interview on 60 Minutes for CBS News. “I’m not trying to compete with 25-year-old leading men. That’s not my job. I’m not doing romantic films anymore.”
A shift in career focus
Instead of rekindling his past as a romantic heartthrob, Clooney is now focused on new creative challenges, including his upcoming Broadway debut in Good Night, And Good Luck.
The play, based on the 2005 Oscar-nominated film of the same name (which Clooney directed), follows journalist Edward R. Murrow’s battle against Senator Joseph McCarthy during the anti-communist hysteria of the 1950s, known as the Second Red Scare.
Despite his decades of experience in Hollywood, Clooney admits that stepping onto the Broadway stage is a daunting challenge.
“It’s exciting to be here. Let’s not kid ourselves. It’s nerve-racking. And there’s a million reasons why it’s dumb to do,” he said.
“It’s dumb to do because you’re coming out and saying, well, let’s try to get an audience to take this ride with you back to 1954.”
Clooney’s decision to take on live theatre marks a significant shift in his career trajectory, moving away from mainstream Hollywood productions towards more personal and challenging projects.
Clooney on press freedom and politics
Beyond his acting career, Clooney has also been vocal about politics and press freedom, topics that feature prominently in Good Night, And Good Luck. Reflecting on the current state of journalism, he drew parallels between Murrow’s battle against McCarthy and today’s media climate.
“We’re seeing this idea of using government to scare or fine, or use corporations to make journalists smaller,” he said.
“Governments don’t like the freedom of the press—they never have. And that goes for whether you are a conservative or a liberal or whatever side you’re on. They don’t like the press.”
Clooney’s political views have long been aligned with the Democratic Party, and he has actively campaigned for Democratic candidates, including Joe Biden. However, he recently made headlines after calling for President Biden to step down from the 2024 election race following his underwhelming debate performance against Donald Trump.
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“I was raised to tell the truth,” Clooney explained.
“I had seen the president up close for this fundraiser, and I was surprised. And so, I feel as if there was a lot of… cowardice in my party through all of that, and I was not proud of that. And I also believed I had to tell the truth.”
Clooney’s comments sparked widespread debate within the Democratic Party, with some praising his honesty and others criticising him for weakening Biden’s campaign at a crucial time.
A new chapter for Clooney
As he embraces new creative pursuits and moves away from traditional Hollywood roles, Clooney remains one of the industry’s most respected figures. While his romantic lead days may be behind him, his passion for storytelling, activism, and artistic challenges is stronger than ever.
“There isn’t a single actor alive that wouldn’t love to have gone on Broadway,” he said.
“So that’s the fun of it. It’s tricky the older you get. But why not?”
With his Broadway debut on the horizon and his political activism still making waves, Clooney proves that reinvention is the key to longevity in show business.
