George Clooney Says He Enjoys Directing More Than Acting
George Clooney has revealed his passion for being in charge on set during a recent interview. While discussing his directorial role in the new sports biopic, The Boys in the Boat, which premiered in theaters on Christmas, the 62-year-old actor admitted that he enjoys directing because it allows him to “boss around” the cast.
“It’s more fun, you have a lot more control. I get to boss [the actors] around, and I don’t have to learn how to row. I still like acting. I have fun,” he said speaking to Sky News.
But George hasn’t abandoned acting altogether. He spilled the beans about his latest project with his former co-star, Brad Pitt. “I’ve just done a film with Brad,” he mentioned, referring to the upcoming movie, Wolfs, set to release in 2024.
He then added, “He’s an up-and-coming actor,” playfully teasing his long-time friend.
When it comes to his role behind the camera, George expressed his genuine enthusiasm, saying, “Directing is a fun thing to do. It’s fun to come in in the morning and it’s fun to write a screenplay and then have somebody build a set that you wrote, it really is.”
George’s journey as a director began with his feature-film debut, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, in 2002. Since then, he has helmed eight more movies, including Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), Leatherheads (2008), The Ides of March (2011), and The Tender Bar (2021), according to IMDB.
The multi-talented actor-director, who has also ventured into writing and producing, emphasized the importance of diversifying one’s career as they age. “As you get older, you need to have other things to do. You can’t just do one thing. I’m lucky because I’m 62 and I get to do the stuff I love, and a lot of people don’t get that. I’m well aware of it, and I celebrate it because, you know, if I’m not having fun, I think people would be really p—– off,” he said.
In The Boys in the Boat, Joel Edgerton and Callum Turner lead the way, bringing to life the true story of the University of Washington’s 1936 rowing team’s journey to the Summer Olympics. The film is an adaptation of Daniel James Brown’s book of the same name, with Brown also serving as a producer alongside Grant Heslov.
When it came to assembling the cast for this sports drama, George emphasized his desire to work with individuals who, like him, have a genuine passion for their craft. “I only want to work with people that want to be there and like what they do because these are long hours, it’s hard to do,” he stated speaking with Sky News.
