George Clooney recalls the moment in the late 1990s that decided how he dealt with fame the new York Times With his co-star Adam Sandler. He told Sandler, “I’m not as good at getting out as you are.” “If I go out, that’ll be an extra hour to talk to people.” That struggle, he said, was something that Paul Newman once helped him understand.
An accidental greeting that became a lesson
Clooney described meeting Newman at Warner Bros. when Newman was filming Message in a Bottle. Clooney was working in the ER at the time and drove to the studio in a golf cart.
“I pulled over and said, ‘Hey, just wanted to say hello,'” Clooney said. Newman, smoking a cigarette, “had no idea who I was.” But as soon as people started shouting “George!” Said and went away. Over and over again, Newman gradually realized that Clooney was not just another actor. “Slowly, they learned that I was successful in the industry,” Clooney said.
A lesson Clooney never forgot
That’s when Newman advised that Clooney still remembered it word for word. “He says, ‘George, don’t let them keep you at home,'” Clooney recalled. “He meant the tendency to be isolated because you’re trying to maintain some privacy.”
At the time, Clooney said he often stayed indoors to avoid attention. But hearing it from Newman changed everything. “It made sense immediately,” he said. “I understood exactly what he meant.”
a guru from afar
Clooney has admired Newman’s work for decades, even taking inspiration from his acting style. “I’ve definitely criticized Paul Newman three or four times,” he joked in an earlier interview, though “not that well.”
He has often praised Newman’s performance in The Verdict, calling it “one of the great performances ever in any film”. Newman died in 2008 at the age of 83, but his influence on Clooney clearly remains strong.
passing on advice
According to People, Clooney is now busy promoting his latest film J Kelly alongside Emily Mortimer, Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Greta Gerwig, and Adam Sandler. The film is in select theaters now and will stream on Netflix on December 5.
Also read: George Clooney faced difficulties of fame in the film ‘Jay Kelly’. FAQ
When did George Clooney first meet Paul Newman?
George Clooney met Paul Newman at Warner Bros. in the late 1990s, when Newman was filming Message in a Bottle and Clooney was working on ER.
What is George Clooney currently promoting?
George Clooney is promoting his latest film, J Kelly, which is in select theaters and will stream on Netflix on December 5.