George Clooney says he pushed back on Noah Baumbach’s habit of shooting many takes while making their new Netflix film Jay Kelly, which will premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival before streaming later this year. Clooney told Vanity Fair he told Baumbach, “Noah, look, I love the script. I love you as a director, but I’m 63 years old, dude — I can’t do 50 takes. I don’t have it in me. I’ve got the acting range from A to B.”
Clooney stars as the title character, a world-famous movie star in his 60s who confronts a personal reckoning after traveling to an Italian film festival to accept a tribute award. Written by Baumbach and Emily Mortimer, Jay Kelly also features Laura Dern as the star’s publicist and Adam Sandler as his manager. The film opens in select U.S. theaters on Nov. 14 and begins streaming on Netflix Dec. 5.
Clooney framed the role as a rare and welcome opportunity for an actor at his stage of life. “When you’re an actor in my position, at my age, finding roles like this aren’t all that common,” he said, adding that accepting aging is part of continuing to work: “If you can’t make peace with aging, then you’ve got to get out of the business and just disappear.” He acknowledged how audiences now respond differently to his onscreen physicality — “I’m now the guy that, when I go running after a bad guy, it’s funny — it’s not suspenseful” — and said he embraces that shift.
Addressing critics who say he plays variations of himself, Clooney was blunt: “Do people say that I only play myself? I don’t give a shit.” He defended the range of his career — from broad comedy to weighty drama — and noted that he didn’t achieve major success until his 30s, which gave him perspective on fame’s fleeting nature.
Clooney also praised Sandler’s dramatic work, saying Jay Kelly “more than any film Adam has done, shows what a beautiful, heartfelt, soulful actor he is.” He urged cast and crew to treat Sandler as a serious performer rather than only a comedian, noting the actor’s proven dramatic chops in films like Uncut Gems.
Additional comments and context:
– Actor-director dynamics: Veteran actors often limit the number of takes to preserve energy and spontaneity. Multiple takes can fatigue performers and sometimes erode the initial emotional truth of a scene; a director like Baumbach, who favors iteration, will often press for more coverage, while seasoned stars may push back to protect a performance.
– Awards positioning: With a Venice premiere and a December Netflix bow, Jay Kelly appears positioned for awards season consideration. The film’s themes — aging, legacy, and the public/private life of a star — are typical material that attracts awards attention.
– Why Clooney’s stance matters: His comment is a candid window into practical on-set negotiations that shape performances and the finished film. It also highlights how filmmakers balance directorial method with the needs of their cast.
Summary:
Jay Kelly is a Venice-bound Netflix film starring George Clooney as an aging movie star confronting his legacy, with Laura Dern and Adam Sandler in key roles. Clooney says his age and acting stamina led him to push back on Noah Baumbach’s preference for many takes. The film opens in U.S. theaters Nov. 14 and streams on Netflix Dec. 5.
Hopeful angle:
The project showcases experienced performers embracing roles that reflect real-life stages of their careers, offering mature, nuanced cinema. Clooney’s willingness to take on material that examines aging and reinvention suggests Hollywood still values stories about later-life transitions and the artists who portray them.
Suggestions for publication (optional):
– Meta description: George Clooney pushed back on Noah Baumbach’s multiple-take approach while filming Jay Kelly, a Venice-bound drama about an aging movie star — hits theaters Nov. 14 and Netflix Dec. 5.
– Suggested tags: George Clooney, Noah Baumbach, Jay Kelly, Venice Film Festival, Netflix, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, awards season
– Social copy idea: “George Clooney says he ‘can’t do 50 takes’ on Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly — and praises Adam Sandler’s dramatic chops. The Venice-bound film arrives in theaters Nov. 14 and on Netflix Dec. 5.”
Logical note:
Clooney’s comments mix practical on-set concerns with broader reflections on aging in show business; they reveal both a negotiation about craft and a conscious acceptance of the kinds of roles available to established actors.