George Clooney Responds to Controversial Quentin Tarantino Trend

by

Okay, so it’s looking pretty doubtful that George Clooney will be involved in the director’s tenth – and supposedly final – film. Clooney subtly called him out during his acceptance speech at the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, referencing some pretty harsh comments the director made last December about actors like Paul Dano, Owen Wilson, and Matthew Lillard. It was definitely a pointed remark, and it doesn’t seem like things are on good terms between them right now.

While accepting his Best Actor award this weekend, George Clooney spoke against unkindness, specifically mentioning he’d be thrilled to work with Paul Dano, Owen Wilson, and Matthew Lillard. He explained, “I don’t like seeing people treat actors badly,” and added that in a time when cruelty is already prevalent, we shouldn’t be contributing to it.

Although George Clooney didn’t say it directly, he was clearly talking about Quentin Tarantino, who had previously criticized the acting of Paul Dano, Owen Wilson, and Justin Lillard. Back in December, during an interview on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, Tarantino called Dano’s performance in the film There Will Be Blood – a movie he actually enjoys – “weak sauce.”

Tarantino strongly defended his previous statement, aggressively claiming that Dano is “the worst actor in the Screen Actors Guild.” He further elaborated, stating his reasons and emphasizing his firm belief in his assessment.

George Clooney has joined others in publicly supporting actors Paul Dano, Owen Wilson, and Justin Lillard. Daniel Day-Lewis, who acted with Dano in the film There Will Be Blood, also voiced his support. On December 9, 2025, Day-Lewis posted on Instagram, calling Dano “one of the best and most talented actors of his generation.”

Jack Black and Paul Rudd responded to the recent discussion, playfully addressing why Quentin Tarantino hadn’t criticized their performances. Black joked that being spared criticism was actually good for their careers, asking, “Doesn’t that feel like a positive?” Rudd chimed in, saying he simply assumed Tarantino felt the same way about his work.

George Clooney Is 1 of the Last True Movie Stars

George Clooney received the Best Actor award from AARP’s Movies for Grownups for his role in Jay Kelly. The film features Clooney as a veteran actor who goes on a personal journey of self-discovery. Noah Baumbach wrote and directed Jay Kelly, continuing his collaboration with Netflix after directing The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) in 2017, Marriage Story in 2019, and White Noise in 2022.

George Clooney was a huge attraction at the movie theater in the 1990s and 2000s, belonging to a now-rare group of actors who could guarantee ticket sales simply by being in a film. However, Clooney seems to understand that today’s audiences are more likely to go to the movies for specific series like Marvel or Star Wars than for actors themselves. He’s now preparing to return to a beloved franchise, with a sequel planned to start filming later this year.

Jay Kelly is available to stream on Netflix.

Read More

2026-01-12 22:06