George Clooney reflected on how he felt about losing a pivotal role to Brad Pitt in the earlier years of his career.
During a recent interview with The Times, the 64-year-old actor revealed that he once came close to landing the role of J.D. — the charming drifter played by Brad Pitt — in the 1991 classic “Thelma & Louise.”
“I got to the final test 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 — while Clooney, at the time, was still best known for television work.
In “Thelma & Louise,” sheltered housewife Thelma Dickinson (Geena Davis) and her best friend, independent waitress Louise Sawyer (Susan Sarandon), first encounter J.D. at a roadside motel after fleeing the scene of a crime.
Thelma, who is unhappily married to the controlling Darryl (Christopher McDonald), is seduced and betrayed by J.D., triggering the series of events that lead to the movie’s iconic ending.
After its release, “Thelma & Louise” became a critical and commercial hit and the role of J.D. launched Pitt to stardom.
Meanwhile, Clooney became a household name a few years later when he played Dr. Doug Ross in the hit television series “ER.”
However, Clooney admitted that he struggled with resentment for years after Pitt was cast as J.D. He told the Times that he was especially frustrated at the time because he believed he could have made his breakthrough into movies if he had landed the role.
“I was in TV,” Clooney remembered. “I was making a good living, but back then actors would say, ‘Well, I’m a film actor — I just happen to be doing TV.’”
“I didn’t watch ‘Thelma & Louise’ for years, because I was annoyed,” the two-time Oscar winner admitted. “The part launched his career in film. He was doing sitcoms and crap before, so when it was the thing that could’ve launched me? F—!!”
Despite some lingering resentment at the time, Clooney said 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 “Wolfs.”
While speaking with the Times, Clooney shared that his one-time rival still teases him about losing the role, but he has since acknowledged that Pitt was the perfect choice to play J.D.
“Oh yeah, he gives me s—,” Clooney said of Pitt. “Of course, when I saw it, I was, like, well, it ‘had’ to be that guy.”
Adam Sandler, who is co-starring with Clooney in the new movie “Jay Kelly,” joined him for the Times interview and also weighed in on the legendary casting decision.
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“I saw that at the cinema and when Brad took his shirt off people went nuts,” Sandler said. “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.”
“Once I was cast, it was down to four finalists for that role,” Davis remembered. “They said, ‘Would you read with them, so we could see what you’re like?’ Each one came in, each one was very handsome, they all had brown hair and were very talented. I didn’t care who it was going to be.”
“And then the fourth one who comes in is Brad Pitt,” she continued. “He’s so charismatic and so incredibly talented that I was screwing up his audition because I forgot to say my line. I’m just like, ‘Wow, he’s really talented.'”
Davis recalled later telling producers which actor she thought should play J.D. — “The blonde one!” she said.
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 you don’t. He’s like a really good friend of yours.’ And he said, ‘No I hate him because he got the part.’ And I said ’Oh, did you want the part?’ And he said, ‘You couldn’t tell when I auditioned with you?”
Davis laughingly admitted that she didn’t remember Clooney “at all” from the audition.
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During a 2023 interview with W magazine, Pitt noted that “Thelma & Louise” was his “entry into the big leagues.”
“I just thought, I’m the guy for this. But they went through a couple of other actors,” Pitt remembered. “I didn’t get the part at first, and then it came back around, and I didn’t get it again, and I went, ‘Huh. All right. Moving on.’ And then it came back around again. I feel like it was three times.”
