George Clooney said he spent years "annoyed" over losing a career-shaping role to Brad Pitt in the 1991 film "Thelma & Louise."
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Clooney said he reached the final round of auditions to play J.D. in Ridley Scott's film before the part went to Pitt.
Clooney said he had hoped the role would push him into film work and that the setback stayed with him a long time.
"I got to the final test for a role in Thelma & Louise," he said. "And, motherf*****, Brad got it."
He said the frustration kept him from watching the movie for years.
"I didn't watch 'Thelma & Louise' for years because I was annoyed," he said. "The part launched his career in film. He was doing sitcoms and crap before, so when it was the thing that could've launched me? F***!"
Clooney and Pitt would later develop a long-running working relationship, most notably through the "Ocean's Eleven" franchise.
Clooney said that when he eventually saw the 1991 film, it became clear why Pitt landed the role.
"He gives me s***," Clooney said, "But, of course, when I saw it, I was like, 'Well, it had to be that guy.'"
Pitt has previously said the casting process stretched over several rounds.
In a January 2023 W Magazine interview for the publication's Best Performances issue, he said casting agents considered several actors over multiple rounds before finalizing their choice.
"I just thought, I'm the guy for this," Pitt said. "I didn't get the part at first, and then it came back around, and I didn't get it again, and I went, 'Huh. All right. Moving on.' And then it came back around again. … I feel like it was three times."
Geena Davis, who starred in the film, has also reflected on the casting process.
In a 2022 appearance on The Graham Norton Show, she said the production team narrowed the search to four finalists and had her read scenes with each.
"Once I was cast, it was down to four finalists for that [male] role," she said. "They said, 'Would you read with them, so we could see what you're like?' Each one came in, each one was very handsome, they all had brown hair and were very talented. I didn't care who it was going to be."
Davis said Pitt immediately stood out during his audition.
"And then the fourth one who comes in is Brad Pitt," she said. "He's so charismatic and so incredibly talented that I was screwing up his audition because I forgot to say my line. I'm just like, 'Wow, he's really talented.'"
She told producers she preferred "the blonde one," leading to Pitt's selection.
According to Davis, the final group of contenders included Grant Show, Mark Ruffalo and Clooney.
She recalled Clooney later mentioning the experience, saying he told her on a flight that he "hated" Pitt because he lost the role to him.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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