De-aging technology has become somewhat commonplace for Hollywood productions, and that’s something George Clooney is aware of. That method has been used in various films at this point, but not all directors utilize such tech when given the chance. That was the case with Clooney’s 2025 movie release, Jay Kelly, as writer/director Noah Baumbach opted to instead cast another actor to play a younger version of Clooney’s eponymous character. And, based on his chat with CinemaBlend, Clooney was very happy to avoid being de-aged.
In addition to Clooney, Charlie Rowe plays the titular Jay Kelly for a limited portion of the movie. That’s an interesting (and admittedly, refreshing) move on Baumbach’s part, considering he could’ve opted to use visual effects to make Clooney appear like his younger self. CinemaBlend recently asked Clooney about that decision, and he revealed there was a discussion about which route the creative team should take. The Oscar winner also revealed a few technical reasons as to why he was pleased with another actor playing Jay:
Well, we had a conversation about that, and he was — and thank God, Noah was just so against it. You know, that doesn't look good most of the time, I don't think. And, also, because, you know, there's a funny thing that happens, your voice, you know, if you listen to, like, when I was on Facts of Life, my voice is two octaves higher, and your body and the way you move is different.
George Clooney appears to be of the opinion that the de-aging process isn’t always so successful, and his points are fair. While some skilled VFX artists do succeed in making actors resemble their younger selves on screen, the finished products sometimes fall into the uncanny valley range. The voice and physicality elements Clooney mentioned are also fair, as hear a performer still sound or 70 when they’ve been de-aged to their 30s for a role. During the interview, Clooney doubled down on his perspective:
De-aging doesn't work, certainly for me. Not at my age. It just starts to look sad.
Having seen more than a few films that utilize technology that makes stars look younger, I can certainly say the results vary as do actors’ opinions on the process. For example, Robert De Niro – who gets de-aged in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman – expressed concerns that the tech might make movies look too “cartoony.” Also, Vera Farmiga stepped in when The Conjuring: Last Rites’ director wanted to de-age her and co-star Patrick Wilson. On the other hand, though, some actors are more upbeat about the process, including Julie Bowen, who’s de-aged in Happy Gilmore 2.
Noah Baumbach’s willingness to cast a second actor to play Jay Kelly is respectable, though. As for the film itself, it centers on aging actor Jay, as he reflects on life while on a European excursion with his trusty manager (played by an Oscar worthy Adam Sandler). Also part of the ensemble of this 2025 Netflix release are Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Greta Gerwig, Stacy Keach and more. George Clooney certainly leads a stellar ensemble, one that doesn't require any de-aging.
Jay Kelly is now playing in select theaters and, starting on December 5, it’ll be available for Netflix subscription holders to stream.
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