Why George Clooney Doesn't Really Act Anymore

George Clooney

There are actors, there are movie stars, and then there is someone like George Clooney -- who has managed to exist on his own kind of level. The former ER star turned Hollywood A-lister maintained a consistent silver screen presence in the 1990s and 2000s, but he has not acted since his stint in 2016's Money Monster. So, what's the cause of this prolonged absence? According to George Clooney, he desires to be selective and only choose interesting roles, which there is a dearth of for a man his age. Clooney recently said,

I haven't acted in almost two years, and I am not really sure when the next version of that would be. If somebody brought me The Verdict, I'd jump. But I'm not going to do movies just to be in front of the camera. I did that for a long time and I had a good run. And as you get older, the parts aren't as interesting. I'm not a leading man anymore. Nobody wants to see me kiss the girl.

Based on George Clooney's recent comments to THR about his absence from the silver screen, it does not sound like he is actively avoiding a return to acting. He simply hasn't received offers that capture his imagination. We can debate all day about whether or not we still want to see Gorge Clooney "kiss the girl" (spoiler alert: I'd still watch that), but the fact of the matter is that he thinks he has moved on from leading man territory.

That said, we should note the fact that George Clooney doesn't need leading man status to turn in some compelling performances. He's one of those actors with a knack for playing against type, and his work in films like Burn After Reading and Hail, Caesar! (admittedly both Coen brothers efforts) has shown what he's capable of when he steps into a secondary role.

Of course, while George Clooney has not done much acting over the last few years, he has remained an active force in Hollywood -- when he's not photobombing Matt Damon in Venice, that is. Behind the scenes, Clooney is currently in the process of producing the long-awaited, female-driven Ocean's Eleven spinoff, Ocean's Eight-- headlined by Sandra Bullock as Danny Ocean's sister Debbie. In terms of behind-the-camera work, George Clooney is currently gearing up for the release of his upcoming film Suburbicon -- a collaboration with Matt Damon and the Coen brothers. Check out thetrailer for the movie below!

George Clooney's Suburbicon will debut in theaters next month on October 27, and we will keep you up to date on any and all information regarding a potential return in front of the camera for this silver screen legend. Looking ahead through the rest of this year, take a look at our movie premiere guide and fill out your 2017 moviegoing calendars accordingly!

Conner Schwerdtfeger

Originally from Connecticut, Conner grew up in San Diego and graduated from Chapman University in 2014. He now lives in Los Angeles working in and around the entertainment industry and can mostly be found binging horror movies and chugging coffee.