The director George Clooney said “failed to find me fascinating”
George Clooney has firmly established himself as a household name over the course of his career. From his humble beginnings as Doug Ross on ER to his headline-grabbing role as the caped crusader in Batman & Robin, Clooney has significantly impacted the industry. He’s worked with a wide array of directors and continues to captivate audiences with a steady stream of projects that keep fans flocking to the cinema.
Despite this pedigree and proven versatility, there is one memorable experience that Clooney reminisces on as a particular dent to his pride as an actor. Speaking at a press conference at the 2011 New York Film Festival, Clooney describes his experiences with Alexander Payne and how “Alexander failed to find me fascinating when I met with him for Sideways, which I’ve not yet let go”.
Payne is well known for his work on films like About Schmidt and the above-mentioned Sideways. His filmography particularly focuses on satirising the American lifestyle and political situation, with 2002’s Election being a firm demonstration of his interest in socio-political critique and engagement.
Across an extended career, Payne has been the recipient of several accolades and awards in the broader film industry to contribute to his pedigree. Most notably, his first Academy Award for ‘Writing Adapted Screenplay’ came from the above-mentioned Election and was accoladed by critics, with praise being aimed at the sharp but not overbearing critique of American politics that largely avoids feeling pandering and missing the point with a strong sense of argument and edge.
Despite this initial setback in working alongside Payne in Sideways, Payne later approached Clooney with a proposition for a new script. Clooney describes how “we met in Toronto, and [Alex] came and said, ‘I have a script coming I’d like you to look at’.” It’s clear that Payne’s critique of Clooney was only in the context of being cast for Sideways instead of any subsequent films.
This manifested in Clooney being cast in Payne’s next film, The Descendants, showcasing a quick turnaround in Payne’s opinion. Humorously, Clooney recollects his determination to work alongside Payne as he describes how “I said ‘I’m doing it whether I read the script or not’” before going on to elaborate how it “didn’t work with Batman & Robin, by the way”. Clooney earnestly admits that his determination to be involved with The Descendants was founded on a somewhat brutish approach to ensuring he was involved after being told previously that Payne “failed to find me fascinating”.
In the end, The Descendants was released and was met with wide critical acclaim from both audiences and critics, with particular praise being aimed towards the sheer quality of the acting on the show, which reflects well on the already talented Clooney. Off the back of The Descendants, Clooney was nominated for ‘Best Actor’ at the 2012 Academy Awards, and the film itself won ‘Best Adapted Screenplay’ at the same ceremony. While Clooney had his pride dented by the inability to be in Sideways, his work in The Descendants is commendable and clearly worthy of accolades in the long term, even if he was initially turned down.
