As fascinated as I am with George Clooney, the actor, it’s his directorial career that comes with the most surprises. After breaking out in E.R. and transitioning to big-league movie stardom, Clooney started directing, using the opportunities to open doors to several genres. Politics (The Ides of March), journalism (Good Night, And Good Luck) and underdog sports dramas have been on the menu for Clooney, up to and including his latest film, The Boys In The Boat. It’s a rousing rowing movie, one that proved physically challenging for the actors in the crew. But it has led to solid reviews… much better than the ones Clooney received for a doomed project he still likes to joke about.
There’s a stirring scene in The Boys In The Boat where the members of the competitive rowing team from the University of Washington learn they have made the squad. The coaches, led by Joel Edgerton, convene afterwards and discuss how invigorating it can be to tell these men they have been chosen. So during a press day with George Clooney and Edgerton, I asked them if they ever felt such elation when being called and told they earned a specific role. And Clooney said that, hilariously, you might get excited… for the wrong reasons.
