George Clooney Fires Back At Acting Critics With A Blunt 5-Word Message

George Clooney is pulling no punches when it comes to what certain critics have to say about him.

The Oscar winner recently sat down with Vanity Fair for a wide-ranging interview, during which he was asked what he’d say to people who have called his versatility as an actor into question.

“Do people say that I only play myself? I don’t give a shit,” George responded, pointing out that “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”.

“If that means I’m playing myself all the time, I don’t give a shit,” he concluded.

This followed a part of the interview in which he defended Adam Sandler, his co-star in Noah Baumbach’s upcoming Netflix movie Jay Kelly.

George insisted: “This film, more than any film Adam has done, shows what a beautiful, heartfelt, soulful actor he is – I kept telling the cast, ‘Don’t call him Sand Man. Don’t talk to him like he’s just some goofy comedian. He’s actually a really beautiful, wonderful actor’.”

Jay Kelly centres around a famous actor and his manager, played by George and Adam, respectively, who travel together through London while reflecting on some of the personal and professional choices that have impacted their lives.

The film also boasts an impressive ensemble cast that includes Emily Mortimer (who also co-wrote the film), Riley Keough, Lenny Henry, Jim Broadbent, Billy Crudup and Greta Gerwig.

Laura Dern also holds a prominent role, reuniting her with Noah Baumach, with whom she previously worked on Marriage Story, the film for which she won her first Oscar in 2020.

The film will be released on Netflix at the end of 2025, and is already receiving Oscar buzz ahead of next year’s awards season.

Read George Clooney’s full interview in Vanity Fair.