I feel like you can’t give George Clooney a lifetime achievement award without acknowledging his legendary pranks. While we know Clooney for his best movies like Ocean’s Eleven and O Brother, Where Art Thou?, people have also come to know and love the actor for his hilarious hijinks. Now, all of this was brought to light as he watched his colleagues and friends praise him during the Kennedy Center Honors. Matt Damon honored his pal and fellow Ocean’s Eleven cast member by complimenting his pranking skills and retelling an outrageous story about Richard Kind, a cat and poop.
During the ceremony, many honored Clooney, including his Ticket to Paradise co-star Julia Roberts, Kind and Don Cheadle. Damon gave a fun speech about Clooney at The Kennedy Center saying:
It has been said that my friend George Clooney is the last of the true movie stars. So, I got to thinking about what exactly that meant. Of course, a number of past Kennedy Center honorees have certainly been movie stars in that classic sense, actors of class and sophistication. Cary Grant, Henry Fonda, Paul Newman, Gregory Peck. And then I think of George, a man who once defecated in Richard Kind’s kitty litter box as a joke. A man who once stole Bill Clinton’s stationery and wrote fake notes to actors about how much the president loved their movies.
Clooney simply shrugged and smiled when the camera cut to him, as you can see in the video below:
Now, as far as this kitty litter story goes, Clooney was roommates with Richard Kind, and while the Ocean’s actor was at home alone he was taking care of Spin City star's cat. Kind became concerned about his cat’s bowel movements, and he took the kitty to the vet, because Clooney did not inform the comedian that the cat was not constipated, he had been just taking care of the poop while Kind was gone. The Oscar-winning actor recalled how all this led to an outrageous prank on the SmartLess podcast saying:
I scoop up some cat shit for a couple of weeks. And then the light bulb goes off and I realize what I must do. Which is take a shit in the cat box.
Clooney continued the story, and he recalled the moment of clarity when he realized the ridiculous nature of what he was doing. He also revealed that realization came while he was “squatted down over a catbox.” The actor said:
You’re just going ‘Well, it’s funny, it’s good. I’m not sure it’s how I want to be remembered, but it’s good.
Then when his roommate got home he couldn’t believe what he saw. Clooney said he was in tears with laughter. And over time Kind figured it out, and got so mad; according to Clooney, the A Serious Man actor said:
'I understand humor! Defecation doesn’t make me laugh!' He’s just screaming at me.
Clooney recalled this story through laughter, and he went on to talk about other pranks he pulled on Richard Kind.
At this point, I feel like Clooney’s pranks are legendary, and it’s so fun to see the tomfoolery he gets up to with his castmates and friends. While the pranks are wild they really all seem to love each other. However, they also aren’t afraid to throw some fun-loving shade in one another's direction.
Damon is no stranger to this, as he and Ben Affleck joked about why Clooney hired Affleck instead of Damon for The Tender Bar. The Good Will Hunting star also cracked some jokes years ago about Clooney’s future as a father, but also lovingly noted his co-star would make a great dad.
It’s always a blast to hear the Ocean’s Eleven cast poke fun at each other, especially when it involves Clooney’s pranks. And this year alone, between the Kennedy Center Honors speech from Damon, and Clooney and Julia Robert’s rom-com Ticket to Paradise on the 2022 movie schedule, we’ve been spoiled with iconic Clooney content.
