Hollywood actor George Clooney has voiced frustration with director Quentin Tarantino’s recent remarks questioning Clooney’s status as a movie star. In a new interview with GQ magazine, Clooney directly addressed comments Tarantino made that appeared dismissive of Clooney’s extensive film career.
Clooney revealed Tarantino had stated in a separate interview that Clooney was “not a movie star.” Tarantino then challenged Clooney to name a successful movie he starred in since 2000. Clooney took issue with this characterization of his work over the past two decades. His films in this period, such as “Ocean’s Eleven,” “The Perfect Storm,” and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” were all box office hits and critical successes.
“Now I’m annoyed with him,” Clooney told GQ. “He gave me criticism but I can give it back. We’ve worked together before and gotten along, but his comments didn’t seem fair.” Clooney and Tarantino collaborated on the 1996 cult film “From Dusk Till Dawn” where they played brothers. Tarantino also directed an episode of “ER,” which helped launch Clooney’s acting career.
Despite his disagreement with Tarantino’s remarks, Clooney acknowledged the importance of working with gifted directors over the years. “We’re lucky to have partners who boost our talents,” he said. Clooney expressed surprise at the longevity of his film career as well. When starting out, he never expected the sustained success he’s experienced.
The interview additionally covered Clooney’s efforts to shield his young twins from public scrutiny. As figures in geopolitics and entertainment respectively, he and his wife Amal value their family’s privacy. Balancing stardom and parenthood remains an ongoing challenge in Clooney’s view.
