Actor George Clooney has done some iconic roles over his decades-long career, but his newest film, “Jay Kelly,” pushed him to new limits. It centers around the titular character (Clooney), a self-absorbed, career-obsessed Hollywood A-lister. Despite all the adoring fans, he is estranged from his own family.
Things come to a head when Jay accepts a lifetime achievement award in Tuscany, and the only person who shows is his manager (Adam Sandler).
By all accounts, this is the exact opposite of Clooney’s real life, and the challenge of playing such a different role reignited his love for acting.
“Jay Kelly”
“I got my groove back as an actor,” Clooney told Variety. “I rediscovered why I love this profession. It’s not that I wasn’t challenging myself on my last few films, but I knew how to play those parts.” (Referring to the rom-com “Ticket to Paradise” and the action comedy “Wolfs”). “With this one, I felt like I did when I started acting and was trying to figure it out. You’re thinking, ‘Am I a fraud? Am I going to be found out?’ It’s a really good place to be, to feel off your game.”
Given how out of character this… character was, Clooney initially worried that Jay was a reflection of how director/co-writer Noah Baumbach saw him.
“I read the script, and there was a part of me that went, ‘Does he think this is who I am?’” the Oscar-winner explains. “Because I knew Noah a little bit, and this character’s deeply unhappy and kind of a jerk. But then I thought it might be fun to play someone who thinks he’s a good guy, but everything he touches, he destroys.”
To blur the lines a bit more, as filming progressed, Baumbach peppered the movie with tidbits from Clooney’s real life. “The illusion, of course, is that George is somehow playing his alter ego,” says Baumbach. “If George was playing a dentist, nobody would be asking about similarities. But because movie stars are reflections back at us, and we all have these histories with them, it feels more intense. They are kind of avatars for our hopes and dreams.”
Crying on Cue
At the end of the film, Jay Kelly sits in a theater and watches clips of his own performances on screen. All of the scenes are drawn from Clooney’s real filmography, including movies like “The Peacemaker,” “Michael Clayton,” and “Out of Sight.”
“When we shot it, all I had told him was that I wanted to show him something,” explains Baumbach. “He didn’t question it. He just remained open to what I was going to do.”
They ended up using the first take with the actor tearing up.
“When you’re young you’re desperately figuring out a way to cry,” says Clooney. “You’re pulling out nose hairs and pinching yourself. But the older you get, the faster the emotions bubble up. I have no trouble tearing up now.”
Clooney & Fame
In the film, Jay Kelly deifies fame, making it his all-consuming goal. In contrast, Clooney has a rather laid-back approach to fame, likely influenced by his aunt, singer and actress Rosemary Clooney.
“She did everything wrong — there was booze and pills. You name it,” he recalls. “I was a kid in Kentucky, but when I did get to know her, the career was long gone. She wasn’t the beautiful blond from “White Christmas” — she was trying to sing in clubs and having a real bad time.”
The “Oceans” Franchise
Now that he is a well-established actor, he has more freedom to do more out-of-the-box roles.
“I’m not going to be doing a whole lot of major studio kinds of films,” Clooney says. “The films that I’m going to be working on for the most part are going to be smaller. If I’m going to go off and do something and be away from my kids, there has to be a real creative reason for it. Money isn’t an issue for me anymore.”
That said, he’s still up for rebooting the “Ocean’s ” franchise. Except this time, inspired by the 70s comedy “Going in Style,” he wants all the players showing their age. He wants Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, and Don Cheadle to reprise their roles and aims to start shooting next October.
“There was something about the idea that we’re too old to do what we used to do, but we’re still smart enough to know how to get away with something, that just appeals to me,” says Clooney. “They’ve lost a step, and they need to find a way to work around their limitations.”
“Jay Kelly” is currently streaming on Netflix. You can check out the trailer below:
