George Clooney Addresses The Iconic Role He Lost To Brad Pitt: "I Didn't Watch The Movie For Years"

Brad Pitt once landed a role that George Clooney had also been vying for. While both actors ended up becoming incredibly successful, and worked together on the Ocean’s films, losing the role still lingers in Clooney’s mind.

In an interview with ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan for his new film Jay Kelly, Clooney reflected on missing out on playing the role of J.D. in the classic movie, Thelma & Louise. Check out his comments below:

ScreenRant: There’s a part where Jay doesn’t put his name on a film and then regrets it. I’m curious if there’s a role that you wish you had done, or one that still lingers in your mind as a what-if.

George Clooney: Well, I had a couple of films that I tried to get. It came down to Brad Pitt and me, and both of us were kind of struggling at the time, for Thelma and Louise. Pitt got it, and I was pissed! [Laughs] I didn’t watch the movie for years, and that was a launching pad for Brad. I remember thinking, “That f–ker…”

And then I saw it, and I go, “Of course, he should have gotten it.” There are a couple of things that got away over time, but for the right reasons. People’s careers kind of come and go; they work out when they work out. You can’t look back and go, “S–t, I should have done that one.”

The actor admitted to resenting his colleague for a long time. While Pitt’s career soared after the film was released, Clooney continued to portray secondary characters in TV shows such as Bodies of Evidence throughout much of the 90s.

However, now that many decades have passed, Clooney decided to let it go. He eventually watched the film and agreed that the casting team made the right decision by going with Pitt because he was perfect for the role. Now, Clooney doesn’t look back on Thelma & Louise and think about what could have been.

Jay Kelly is a comedy-drama film starring George Clooney and Sandler. The movie is directed by Noah Baumbach and is in select theaters now.