George Clooney has revealed how he felt after losing a major role to Brad Pitt in the early years of his career.
During a recent interview with The Times, the 64-year-old actor revealed that he once came close to playing JD, the charming drifter played by Brad Pitt in the 1991 classic “Thelma & Louise.”
“I went into final auditions for a role in ‘Thelma & Louise.’ And, motherf—-, Brad got it,” Clooney said.
The role of J.D. became Pitt’s breakout performance and turned him into a movie star almost overnight – whereas Clooney, at the time, was still best known for television work.
In “Thelma & Louise”, sheltered housewife Thelma Dickinson (Geena Davis) and her best friend, freelance waitress Louise Sawyer (Susan Sarandon) first encounter J.D. in a roadside motel after escaping a crime scene.
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Thelma, who is unhappily married to the controlling Darryl (Christopher MacDonald), is seduced and betrayed by J.D., setting off the chain of events that leads to the film’s iconic ending.
Following its release, “Thelma & Louise” became a critical and commercial hit and the role of J.D. catapulted Pitt to stardom.
Meanwhile, Clooney became a household name a few years later when he played Dr. Doug Ross on the hit television series “ER.”
However, Clooney admitted that he struggled with resentment for years after Pitt was cast as a Jedi. He told the Times that he was particularly disappointed at the time because he believed he could have achieved his success in films if he had got the role.
The role of J.D. in “Thelma & Louise” catapulted Pitt to stardom. (Photo International/Getty Images)
“I was in TV,” Clooney remembered. “I was making a good living, but at the time actors would say, ‘Well, I’m a film actor – I’m just doing TV.'”
“I didn’t watch ‘Thelma & Louise’ for years because I was angry,” the two-time Oscar winner admitted. “This role launched his career in film. He was doing sitcoms and shit before, so when was this the thing that could launch me? F—!!”
Despite some resentment at the time, Clooney said that he and Pitt eventually became close friends – and even collaborators.
The pair famously co-starred in “Ocean’s Eleven” (2001) and its sequels “Ocean’s Twelve” (2004) and “Ocean’s Thirteen” (2007), as well as “Burn After Reading” (2008) and the 2024 thriller “Wolves.”
Speaking with the Times, Clooney shared that his one-time rival still teases him about losing the role, but he has since admitted that Pitt was the perfect choice for the role of J.D.
“Oh yes, he gives me —,” Clooney said of Pitt. “Of course, when I saw it, I thought, OK, it had to be the same guy.”
Clooney became a household name when he played Dr. Doug Ross on “ER.” (Sven Arnstein/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Adam Sandler, who co-stars with Clooney in the new movie “Jay Kelly,” joined him for the Times interview and also reflected on the great casting decision.
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Sandler said, “I saw it in the cinema and people went crazy when Brad took his shirt off.” “But it should have been you, Clooney.”
During a 2022 appearance on “The Graham Norton Show,” Davis, 69, recalled Pitt’s audition for “Thelma & Louise.”
Davis remembered, “Once I was cast, there were four finalists left for the role.” “They said, ‘Will you read with them, so we can see how you are?’ Everybody came in, everybody was very beautiful, they all had gray hair and they were very talented. “I didn’t care who it was going to be.”
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“And then the fourth person who comes in is Brad Pitt,” she continued. “He’s so charismatic and so incredibly talented that I was messing up his audition because I forgot to say my lines. I said, ‘Wow, he’s really talented.'”
Davis later recalled telling the producers which actor he thought should play the Jedi – “the blonde one!” He said.
Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis taking a Polaroid of themselves in a scene from the film. ((Photo by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty Images))
The Academy Award winner recalled that the other three contenders for the role included Clooney, Mark Ruffalo, and Grant Show.
Davis revealed that she once sat next to Clooney on a flight and described the actor as “very friendly and great”.
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“Finally he said, ‘You know I hate Brad Pitt,'” she recalled. “And I say, ‘No, it’s not like that. He’s actually a good friend of yours.’ And he said, ‘No, I hate him because he got this role.’ And I said ‘Oh, did you want this role?’ And he said, ‘Can’t you tell when I auditioned with you?’
Davis laughingly admitted that she “didn’t remember” Clooney at the audition.
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Pitt and Clooney have been friends and collaborators for a long time now. (James Deveney/GC Images)
During a 2023 interview with W magazine, Pitt said that “Thelma & Louise” was his “entry into the big leagues”.
However, he recalled that he got the role with difficulty.Click here to download Fox News App
Pitt recalled, “I just thought I was the right guy for it. But they chose some other actors.” “First I didn’t get the role, and then it came back, and I didn’t get it again, and I was like, ‘Huh. OK. Moving on.’ And then it came back again. I feel like it was three times.”
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