At the 51st Chaplin Awards Gala in New York on Monday night, George Clooney took the stage to accept one of cinema’s most respected honors. Presented by Film at Lincoln Center, the prestigious award celebrates artists whose work embodies the spirit of Charles Chaplin. But when the conversation turned to his own body of work, the actor admitted that he can’t bear to watch his older movies, sparking curiosity among fans and peers.
George Clooney shares why watching his old movies is harder
Despite a career that includes nearly 100 films, George Clooney has revealed why his earlier films are tough to rewatch, citing the uneasy distance between who he was then and who he is today as an artist.
“It’s a weird thing,” Clooney, 64, told PEOPLE on the red carpet at the 51st Chaplin Award gala at Alice Tully Hall in New York City on Monday, April 27. “As you get older, it’s hard to watch movies when you were younger because you’re like, ‘Holy s—, that doesn’t even look like me anymore.’ “
The “Jay Kelly” actor, however, shared that he recently watched his 2009 stop-motion film with Wes Anderson, “Fantastic Mr. Fox”, alongside his 8-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella, whom he shares with wife Amal Clooney.
Clooney said “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is easier to watch because only his voice appears, which lets his twins start to understand his work. He usually avoids looking back, but with 65 approaching, he admits he may revisit his films later since the view forward is shorter now.
At the annual New York City gala, George Clooney accepted Film at Lincoln Center’s Chaplin Award, which recognizes significant contributions to the art of cinema. The award bears the name of Charlie Chaplin, who became the organization’s inaugural honoree in 1972.
Clooney, joined by wife Amal, 48, posed on the red carpet ahead of the gala. The evening’s tributes came from friends and collaborators, including Stephen Colbert, Julianna Margulies, John Turturro and Sam Rockwell.
Originally reported by Sibanee Gogoi on Mandatory.
