George Clooney gets star-studded support on Broadway debut night
George Clooney’s celebrity friends came out in support on the opening night of his Broadway debut.
George Clooney is sticking by his once-controversial call for former President Joe Biden to exit the 2024 presidential race.
The actor reflected on his July New York Times op-ed, in which he argued the Democratic party needed a new nominee.
In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper discussing his Broadway debut in the anti-McCarthyism play “Good Night, and Good Luck” – recreated from his Oscar-nominated film – Clooney, 63, reflected on the “courage” shown by journalist Edward R. Murrow, with Tapper taking the moment to draw comparison.
“You yourself did something that a lot of people would call brave when you wrote your op-ed,” said the CNN lead Washington anchor.
“Well, I don’t know if it was brave, it was a civic duty,” Clooney said. “I’m a Democrat in Kentucky, so I get it. When I saw people on my side of the street not telling the truth, I thought that was time to (say something).”
Clooney wrote in New York Times piece: “We are not going to win in November with this president. On top of that, we won’t win the House, and we’re going to lose the Senate. This isn’t only my opinion; this is the opinion of every senator and congress member and governor that I’ve spoken with in private. Every single one, irrespective of what he or she is saying publicly.”
When Biden – pressured by others including, reportedly, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – did eventually drop out less than two weeks later, Clooney said he “did the most selfless thing that anybody’s done since George Washington,” according to a video shared by Deadline.
When Tapper asked if people were still angry with him, Clooney said, “Some people, sure. You have to take a stand if you believe in it. Take a stand, stand for it and then deal with the consequences. That’s the rules.”
The filmmaker compared the backlash to his stance on the Iraq War. “Good Night” was released in 2005 as a response of sorts to the now-widely criticized war.
“When people criticize me – they’ve criticized me because of my stance against the war 20 years ago, and some people picketed my movies,” he said. “I have to take that. I’m okay with criticism for where I stand. I defend their right to criticize me as much as I defend my right to criticize them.”
Clooney continues to be an outspoken Hollywood A-lister. Last month, the actor warned Americans in a “60 Minutes” interview about the government’s increasing encroachment on journalism, a move that riled President Donald Trump.
Contributing: Patrick Ryan and Jay Stahl
Leave a Reply