George Clooney has been acting professionally for, well, a really long time. From a dashing and earnest young doctor on ER to the audience darling of O Brother Where Art Thou?, Clooney has embodied a number of various roles.
However, as he and co-star Adam Sandler began to make the press rounds for their upcoming film Jay Kelly, Clooney has faced some criticism from fans and critics for "playing himself" in many of the roles he has taken later in life.
This perhaps has come up because Jay Kelly, directed by Noah Baumbach, is about an aging 60-something cinema star, one who had great fame but has perhaps been accused of playing himself. This is the character, mind you, not Clooney.
The actor did not, in a recent interview with Vanity Fair, agree with the sentiment and felt it was not representative of his career.
He replied:
“Do people say that I only play myself? I don’t give a sh*t."
"There aren’t that many guys in my age group that are allowed to do both broad comedies like 'O Brother [Where Art Thou?]' and then do 'Michael Clayton' or 'Syriana.'"
"So if that means I’m playing myself all the time, I don’t give a sh*t.”
His reaction seemed a bit defensive and hasty, according to some people who commented.
Some folks argued that Clooney is still kind of coasting on his past.
Some actors do have a certain something that travels between roles.
But really, the man has the range.
Finally, someone probably hit the nail on the head when it comes to Clooney's choices.
In the same interview, Clooney praised Jay Kelly co-star Adam Sandler, whom he called “a beautiful, heartfelt, soulful actor.” He added that Sandler is not just “some goofy comedian.”
Jay Kelly, which also stars Laura Dern, Greta Gerwig, Isla Fisher, Riley Keough, Louis Partridge, Billy Crudup, Grace Edwards, and more, is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival later this month. It will release in select U.S. theaters on November 14 before streaming on Netflix starting in December.
