George Clooney was in the final selection for “Thelma & Louise” – Brad Pitt got the role. Pitt still teases him about it today. The story behind Hollywood’s most famous casting rivalry.
George Clooney is a Hollywood legend. Over many years he established himself in the business and rose to become one of the most sought-after actors of his generation. His performances brought him fame, celebrity and two Oscars. These days he maintains a close friendship with his colleague Brad Pitt, another legend of the business. But when both actors were at the very beginning of their careers, a role made them competitors.
Hope for “Thelma & Louise”
Clooney recently gave an interview to the British newspaper The Times in which he spoke about it. In the early 1990s he had high hopes for a role in a classic by director Ridley Scott. “I was in the final round for a role in Thelma & Louise.” Ultimately, this went to Brad Pitt. “And then Brad got her, that bastard.” Clooney was very upset about it at the time, and he still thinks about it to some extent today.
It is the role of JD, which was played by Brad Pitt in 1991’s “Thelma & Louise” – a charming and criminal crook who has a brief romance with Thelma, played by Geena Davis, in the film. The scene made Pitt an overnight star and landed him bigger roles. Clooney is also firmly convinced that the film marked Pitt’s breakthrough. Before, he only did “sitcoms and crap,” Clooney said in an interview. He also didn’t watch the film for years because it really upset him at the time.
Watch the trailer for “Thelma & Louise” here:
“Oh yeah, he’s making fun of me.”
Brad Pitt still annoys him today and teases him about getting the role. Nevertheless, the two actors have a close friendship today – the resentment from back then seems to have been forgotten. When Clooney saw the film for the first time, he also realized that his now-boyfriend was the perfect fit for the role of JD. “When I saw the movie, of course I thought, ‘Yeah, it had to be that guy.'”
The breakthrough was not long in coming
However, Clooney didn’t have to wait long for his own breakthrough. In the mid-1990s he landed the role of doctor Doug Ross in the series “Emergency Room”. He quickly rose to become a TV star, and Hollywood also accepted him into its circle. In 1996 he already played in major productions such as “Days like this” and “From Dusk till Dawn”.