What felt like a scripted moment on paper in the comedy-drama Jay Kelly turned personal on screen, catching Hollywood star George Clooney off guard when clips from his own filmography were featured in the film.
Surprised by the Clips
In a scene where his character receives a lifetime achievement award amidst a packed theater after viewing a reel of his career, Clooney expressed that he was “surprised” by co-writer-director Noah Baumbach’s choice to use his own past film clips.
“Oh, it was a surprise all right. I was surprised,” Clooney shared on Entertainment Weekly’s Around the Table. Co-star Adam Sandler chimed in, adding, “We were both surprised. We felt things that we didn’t expect to feel.”
Clooney elaborated, “We held hands. No, I didn’t know he was going to use sort of clips from my own actual career, which was a surprise. And you get to look at a lot of bad haircuts over the… mullets.” He humorously reminded Sandler, “Don’t you laugh. You had a mullet.”
About Jay Kelly
Jay Kelly is a 2025 comedy-drama that also stars Laura Dern and Billy Crudup. The story follows the journey of a renowned actor (Clooney) traveling through Europe with his manager (Sandler), reflecting on his life choices, relationships, and legacy.
The film had its world premiere in the main competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on August 28, 2025, before opening in select theaters on November 14, 2025. It was subsequently released globally on Netflix on December 5.
Golden Globe Recognition
Both Clooney and Sandler received acting nominations at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards for their performances in this film.
Clooney’s Career Reflections
In related news, Clooney shared on December 15 that after a heartfelt discussion with his wife, Amal Clooney, about his age, he has decided to stop “kissing girls” in movies.
“I’ve been trying to go the route Paul Newman did — ‘Okay, well, I’m not kissing a girl anymore,’” the 64-year-old actor told the Daily Mail. He continued, “When I turned 60, I had a conversation with my wife. I said, ‘Look, I can still play basketball with the boys. I play with 25-year-old guys. I can still hang, I’m in shape. But in 25 years, I’m 85 years old. It doesn’t matter how many granola bars you eat, that’s a real number.’”