‘It’s No Longer Worth It at This Point in My Life’

George Clooney, at 63, is making deliberate choices when it comes to his acting projects. In a joint cover story for GQ magazine with his “Wolfs” co-star Brad Pitt, the Oscar-winning actor emphasized the importance of “time allotment” in his decision-making process. If he’s going to spend half the year away for a role, he wants it to be worth his while. Clooney stated that he prefers to work with individuals who take joy in their craft.

“The older you get, time allotment is very different,” Clooney shared. “Five months out of your life is a lot. And so it’s not just like, ‘Oh, I’m going to do a really good film like ‘Three Kings,’ and I’m going to have a miserable experience with someone like David O. Russell making life hard for everyone.’ It’s not worth it. Not at this point in my life. Just to have a good product.”

Clooney, along with Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube, starred in “Three Kings,” a 1999 war movie set during the end of the First Gulf War. The production of this film was notorious for the conflicts between Clooney and director David O. Russell. Clooney has previously mentioned that Russell would “yell and scream at people all day” during the shoot. The tension culminated when Russell allegedly got physical with an extra, prompting Clooney to step in. The duo eventually reconciled years later.

“There came a time when I just said to him, ‘Is this going to go on forever? We’ve got to shake hands and let it go,'” Clooney recalled in a 2014 interview with ShowBiz 411. “We put it behind us. And that’s great.”

Clooney’s new film “Wolfs,” where he plays a professional fixer forced to collaborate with his rival, played by Brad Pitt, is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival before its September release in theaters and on Apple TV+. Additionally, Clooney recently completed filming for Noah Baumbach’s new movie, where he stars alongside Laura Dern and Adam Sandler.

Reflecting on longevity in his career, Clooney recounted a conversation he had with Matt Damon 25 years ago, right after Damon won an Oscar. “I was like, ‘Just know that if you get a 10-year career, playing at that level, it’s an absolute jackpot.’ Nobody sustains it much longer than that. So yeah, I’m surprised that I still have the work.”

“Wolfs” will be available for streaming on Apple TV+ starting September 27. The film will also have a one-week theatrical run beginning September 20.

Source: GQ, ShowBiz 411