George Clooney Furious For Losing Role In Hit 90’s Movie To Brad Pitt
George Clooney admits to holding a grudge against Brad Pitt over losing a role in Thelma & Louise to him.
George Clooney and Brad Pitt are two of Hollywood’s most well-known actors. Although they seemingly have gotten along in public, they apparently have an issue when it pertains to a certain Geena Davis project. In a chapter from the actress’ memoir Dying of Politeness (excerpted by The Times), Pitt’s audition for Thelma & Louise is mentioned. While Pitt landed the role, what many don’t know is that Clooney also had his eye on it.
Davis writes about boarding a plane from Geneva to LAX and finding out she was sitting next to George Clooney. She describes the Oceans Eleven actor as “friendly” and reveals that admitted that he despised Brad Pitt. Clooney explained that his reasoning for hating Pitt was because he nabbed the role of J.D. opposite Davis in the 1991 comedy-drama Thelma & Louise.
It’s hilarious that George Clooney had a bit of a grudge against Brad Pitt, considering the two would go on to star together in the Ocean’s franchise. Their devil-may-care charming personalities are what makes them recognizable and sought after in Hollywood. When Thelma & Louise was coming out, Clooney had begun to make a name for himself in the television show ER.
George Clooney did get a smidge of revenge against Brad Pitt afterward. In a recent interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Clooney revealed that he sent people prank letters on Pitt’s stationary. One of the letters went to multi-time Academy Award nominee Meryl Streep who later claimed she “avoided Brad for five years!”
The actress would write that she didn’t remember George Clooney auditioning for the part that went to Brad Pitt. She wanted to ask if Clooney “was one of the guys with the brown hair” but instead decided to say, “Oh yes, I could tell. You were so great. Wimp.” Ouch. Talk about being the bridesmaid.
At least George Clooney made up for losing the Thelma & Louise role to Brad Pitt over the years. The actor has earned multiple award nominations and wins for his performances in projects. He’s also a recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award.
George Clooney and Brad Pitt starred in the American heist film Ocean’s Eleven. A remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film of the same name featured an all-star cast and centered on Clooney and Pitt’s characters planning a heist of $160 million. The success of Ocean’s Elven spawned two sequels and a spin-off with an all-female lead cast in 2018.
George Clooney and Brad Pitt became the faces of the Ocean’s franchise. Their star power, along with other well-known names, helped Ocean’s become a billion-dollar franchise and one that has generally received favorable reviews from critics. In May 2022, it was announced that a prequel film set in the ‘60s-era Europe would be going into development, with Margot Robbie set to star and produce.
Regarding a direct Ocean’s sequel, Don Cheadle revealed in 2021 that Steven Soderbergh had been working on the concept for another installment. In the same year, Matt Damon expressed his interest in returning to the franchise. As of this writing, it’s unclear whether George Clooney or Brad Pitt will return.
