George Clooney Sends a Direct Message to Critics of His Acting Talents originally appeared on Parade.
George Clooneyhas heard the critiques — and he’s unfazed.
In a new interview with Vanity Fair, the 64-year-old actor and filmmaker responded head-on to a knock against his career claiming that he basically just plays himself. His answer? He couldn’t care less.
“Do people say that I only play myself? I don’t give a s–t,” Clooney said bluntly. “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 s–t.”
As far as his next role, Clooney plays a world-famous actor in his 60s grappling with fame and identity in Noah Baumbach’s upcoming Netflix film Jay Kelly. Naturally, Clooney doesn’t shy away from the irony.
“Have you ever tried playing yourself? It’s hard to do,” he quipped, noting that he didn’t find major success until later in life — a factor he credits for keeping his ego in check.
“I didn’t really get successful, in the kind of success that can be blinding, until I was 33 years old,” he said. “I’d been working for 12 years at that point. I had a real understanding of how fleeting all of it is and how little it has to do with you, quite honestly.”
As for his own evolution, Clooney is fully embracing the reality of aging in Hollywood.
“If you can’t make peace with aging, then you’ve got to get out of the business and just disappear,” he said. “I’m now the guy that, when I go running after a bad guy, it’s funny — it’s not suspenseful. That’s okay. I embrace all of that.”
George Clooney Sends a Direct Message to Critics of His Acting Talents first appeared on Parade on Aug 5, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
