George Clooney is offering a candid look at how he has learned to handle failure and humiliation in his acting career. Reflecting on lessons, the actor explained that accepting the risk is important to navigating the entertainment industry.
George Clooney discusses how he has dealt with failure and humiliation in his career
George Clooney is offering a clearer look at how he has handled failure and humiliation in his career. He has highlighted the early lessons learned at home and the realities he faced in Hollywood.
Speaking in a recent interview, Clooney said he first understood the public attention by watching his aunt, Rosemary Clooney, navigate sudden fame as a teenager. She became widely known at 16 and appeared on the cover of Time magazine, but struggled when the industry shifted.
Talking about his aunt, Clooney said, “She got her fame at 16, and it was big. She was on a cover of Time magazine. And she believed all the stuff when they tell you how great you are … Then the business changed and she wasn’t prepared for that. If you believe the first part, you gotta believe the second part.”
Before his role in ER, Clooney spent years working through auditions and disappointments. According to him, “You can’t be an actor and not fail. And that’s the risk, right? That’s why when it’s successful it pays off. It’s because you’re willing to risk humiliation.”
Previously, at Los Angeles premiere of Jay Kelly, Clooney reflected on the 1997 movie Batman & Robin, calling it one of the most important lessons of his career. In an interview with PEOPLE, he said, “I learned a lot [from] that one. You don’t learn from succeeding — you learn from failing, and then you have to figure it out along the way, so it’s helpful.”
Clooney’s latest film, Jay Kelly, also featuring Adam Sandler, started streaming on Netflix on December 5.
Originally reported by Disheeta Maheshwari on Mandatory.
