George Clooney, superstar

And then there were only four. The male superstar. You have Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and... George Clooney. Bring on the comment. Of course, you still have a few movie stars, but of the superstar calibre? No. Gentlemen's Watch zoomed in with the latter, George Clooney, about his most recent vehicle: Ticket to Paradise. "As an actor, you have to watch your own shelf life," he says.

Text: Jorrit Niels Photography: Universal Pictures, Omega Watches

George Clooney frankly never disappoints. Yours truly spoke to him three times now and so far he has turned out to be one of the most committed interviewees. By the way: yours truly is still just walking in his own shoes hear, because more than a reasonable recognition and the country 'Netherlands', it didn't come to anything.

The reason why the 61-year-old actor was featured on our Mac screen is because of his second romcom ever. The first was One Fine Day from 1996 with Michelle Pfeiffer. The latest is Ticket to Paradise With Julia Roberts.

Roberts and Clooney play two warring exes who are reunited to stop their daughter's (Kaitlyn Dever) impulsive marriage to an Indonesian seaweed farmer (Maxime Bouttier) in Bali. Once the divorced parents work together, their old spark is rekindled. This speaks for itself.

Incidentally, this is the fourth time these two modern film icons have teamed up. The previous four films were Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and the Jodie Foster thriller Money Monster. They hark back to the time-honoured romcom. A genre that dates back to the 30s with the so-called screwball comedies and peaked in the 90s and early 00s.

Ticket to Paradise is a worthy and charming addition to the genre and what cinema audiences deserve, according to Clooney: "Something upbeat and optimistic. Romantic comedies bring large audiences together. And after a few tough years, I thought it would be nice to bring something like that to the big screen. I wanted to be in that world for a while, because for the past two years it felt like I was banging my head against the wall every day. Over and over again."

Was it familiar or challenging to act with a close friend?

"You have to be careful not to just have a good time on set, but actually put in some work. Julia and I have always had good chemistry as friends. We also approach our work in the same way. Still, I think the main reason Julia and I work so well together is because we know how to make each other laugh. We have a similar sense of humour and just get each other. No matter how hard the joke is sometimes, haha."

Is it true that the film was written especially for you?

"Julia and I were not actively looking for a project to do together, but of course it was easy to say yes to an opportunity to work with her on a new project. Director Ol Parker sent the script to both of us at the same time and said he had written the roles for Julia and me. So immediately after I read it, I called Julia and told her, 'If you do it, I'll do it,' and she said, 'Well, I'll do it if you do it.' Not long after that, we were on our way to Australia. A beautiful place, but also a country where just about anything can kill you. Ah, look here! The world's smallest jellyfish, beautiful isn't it? But beware, it can kill you! Hilarious and terrifying at the same time."

Was it challenging to run this during COVID?

"Ideally, we would have preferred to shoot it in Bali itself, but that was not possible due to COVID rules. Australia did succeed and, of course, it was a blessing to be allowed to film there. I could say how challenging it was and that I had to have myself tested every so often, but come on... I was there with my wife and children AND got to work on a fine film. How first-class do you want it?"

There is quite some time between your film reels. How long did it take you to 'get back into it'?

"It helped that I made this one with Julia, but even with a friend across from me, I was nervous. If you don't get that nervous feeling in your stomach every time you start work, then you are too confident for this job. That does nothing good for your acting skills. The moment I would stop being nervous or think I know what I am doing, then it is time for me to quit."

It took over twenty-five years after your first romcom, why so long?

"I have since One Fine Day indeed no romantic comedy made anymore. So when I got this script, it felt like a perfect opportunity. I must say that I hadn't been convinced by a script before either. I wanted to see something funny and comforting, but something that touched on deeper themes at the same time."

Like which one?

"That it is more than just joke after joke or kitschy shot with candlelight. The film also shows deeper, universal themes of love, regret and the complex emotions of raising children as they take their first real steps towards adulthood. In all the years since my character David and Georgia (Roberts ed.) divorced, the fire is still there for him. But he is convinced that she has moved on and he should be at peace with that. She has a new boyfriend and a new life, without David. He doesn't want to risk being repelled or making things more complicated than they already are. And above all, he doesn't want to jeopardise his relationship with his daughter Lily. Unlike most romantic comedies, which are mainly about people in their 20s or early 30s, it explores Ticket to Paradise Love, in all its forms. And that through an adult lens. I found that refreshing."

Do you feel there is too little attention to that, films for adults?

"In cinema absolutely. Streamers fill that gap well with special projects, but in cinema it is definitely less so. It has been difficult to get those kinds of films made for quite some time, long before streamers more or less took over. Also look at The Descendants, Michael Clayton or Up in the Air. It was always difficult to find a place for them. I find that streamers have opened up a huge world for the kind of films I like to watch and make. And whenever possible, you have to make sure that somehow you are guaranteed a theatrical release. I think part of our job is always to make sure that we protect the integrity of films in cinema."

You never suffered from typecasting. You consciously took care of that?

"I first looked at what suited me best as an actor. Then I tried to build credit with more commercial films to then make films on subjects close to my heart. Such as Syriana on oil and Michael Clayton on crimes in business."

You never felt forced into anything?

(grinning) "Well, maybe Batman & Robin; my much-discussed flop. But no kidding, I want to make films, that's it. Hopefully, some of them will have a longer life. If that succeeds, I will be satisfied. A legacy? I see that more in the form of social work, such as the fight for human rights that I am committed to. Once you have children, you still want to leave something they are proud of."

Does that include your films as a director?

"Definitely. As soon as they are old enough to watch them. I love directing. Whether it's an original script or one based on a book. I then use the latter mainly as a kind of palette, because book adaptations are meanly difficult. Take for instance the miniseries Catch-22, which was the most daunting of all, since it is one of the most beloved books of all time. You then have to accept the idea that it will never be perfect according to everyone, but at the same time you try to create your own version of the story."                                          

You are also producing this film. Something you've been doing since about 2000. What attracts you to that specialism?

"If you last a bit longer in this business, you automatically try to do a bit more than what you ever went to Los Angeles for, acting. So that you are not at the mercy of a casting director. As an actor, you have to be very mindful of your own shelf life. That's why I started writing, directing and producing. Now I am executive producer, but that is mainly putting my name to the project, to make it run smoothly."

Isn't that a bit low honour?

"I wasn't involved from the beginning, so most of the work was already done. But you are very involved in distribution, for example. The status I worked so hard for, the 'credit' as they call it, I can now use to get projects off the ground. Like, for example, the fact that this film would be released in cinemas; that's very important to me. That power, a dirty word when I use it like that, remains bizarre. I never, ever thought that possible when I started as a glorified extra."

Directing, producing, writing... Besides acting, what do you like doing most?

"Tricky, the important thing is to have several irons in the fire as you get older in this industry. And that getting older happens faster than you think! That's what I always try to give younger actors. Never rely on other people's opinions about you in this little world. That can be very dangerous!" (laughs)

Ticket to Paradise is now available to watch via Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video and others.