George Clooney On Losing Thelma & Louise Role To Brad Pitt: ‘I Was Annoyed’

George Clooney is looking back at one of the “almost” moments that could have changed the entire course of his Hollywood journey. In a recent chat, the 64-year-old actor opened up about the early days

of his career. He remembered the time he desperately wanted to move beyond TV projects and land a major film role. Just when he thought that he had gotten his break as JD in Ridley Scott’s 1991 classic Thelma & Louise, Brad Pitt entered the picture.

While chatting with The Sunday Times, Clooney recalled, “I got to the final test for a role in Thelma & Louise,” adding, “And, motherf——, Brad got it.” That loss hurt enough for him to avoid watching the film for years.

In his words, “I didn’t watch Thelma & Louise for years because I was annoyed.” He admitted, “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—!”

When George Clooney Finally Watched Thelma & Louise

Of course, time changed everything for the two as Clooney and Pitt are now longtime friends. The two have even shared the screen in iconic hits like Ocean’s Eleven and its sequels. And when Clooney finally did watch Thelma & Louise, he knew exactly why he Pitt was the obvious choice for the role. He said, “He gives me s—,” adding, “But, of course, when I saw it, I was like, ‘Well, it had to be that guy.’”

Brad Pitt On His Casting In Thelma & Louise

On the other side, Brad Pitt has his own memory of that casting process. He revealed that he didn’t get the part right away. In a conversation with W Magazine, the actor said, “I just thought, I’m the guy for this. I didn’t get the part at first, and then it came back around, and I didn’t get it again… And then it came back around again … I feel like it was three times.”

Reflecting on the filming of the iconic love scene in the film, he said, “Geena [Davis] was so sweet and kind and delicate.” It took shot for two days of shooting.