George Clooney On ‘Jay Kelly’ Personal Detail That Surprised Him

With Jay Kelly, George Clooney experienced a bit of art imitating life, thanks to the Netflix film’s co-writer/director Noah Baumbach.

Discussing a scene in which his titular movie star receives a lifetime achievement award in a packed theater after watching a reel of his onscreen career, the 2x Oscar-winning actor said he “was surprised” by Baumbach using clips from Clooney’s own filmography.

“Oh, it was a surprise all right. I was surprised,” said Clooney on Entertainment Weekly‘s Around the Table, as co-star Adam Sandler added, “We were both surprised. We felt things that we didn’t expect to feel.”

Clooney added, “We held hands. No, I didn’t know he was going to use sort of clips from my own actual career, which was a surprise. And you get to look at a lot of bad haircuts over the… mullets.

“Don’t you laugh,” he quipped to Sandler. “You had a mullet.”

Now available to stream on Netflix, the film follows famous actor Jay Kelly (Clooney) as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery. He confronts both his past and present, accompanied by his loyal manager Ron (Sandler). The film blends poignant themes with humor, capturing the regrets amid the notable achievements of life.