6 facts about George Clooney and Brad Pitt’s friendship: From pulling pranks to vying for same movie role
Inside Brad Pitt and George Clooney's decades-long bromance
Besides being two of the most attractive and talented actors in Hollywood, George Clooney and Brad Pitt also represent the epitome of an ideal bromance. Their friendship began on the set of 2001's 'Ocean's Eleven', and they have been friends for over 20 years. George, 63, and Brad, 60, have a long-standing Hollywood friendship; both were TV actors before becoming Oscar-winning A-listers. However, they also competed for a single, iconic role that catapulted one into stardom while keeping the other unknown for years. The two A-listers recently attended the annual Venice Film Festival for the world premiere of their movie 'Wolfs'. The movie is scheduled to open in a few theaters on September 20 and go live on Apple TV+ on September 27.
1. Brad Pitt and George Clooney's bond precipitated by Princess Diana's tragic death
In a GQ interview, Brad said that George's statement following the untimely death of Princess Diana in 1997 in Paris while she was being pursued by paparazzi was the one that truly stuck out to him. Brad expressed shock when he considered how severely the paparazzi had been harassing Princess Diana. Brad said, "It’s a horrible feeling... So George got up and commented on that after Princess Diana. And that’s when I saw: This guy’s got something that the rest of us don’t. Like, I saw the leader in that moment."
2. Brad Pitt and George Clooney vied for a role in 'Thelma & Louise'
The best friends are said to have first connected in 1991 when attending auditions for the part of JD in 'Thelma & Louise'. After losing out on the role of cowboy JD to Brad, George revealed he couldn't get himself to watch the 1991 classic drama. While Brad's career took off after starring in the movie with Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, George claimed in an interview with GQ that he was "still doing some bad TV show or something" after that. It took an additional three years for George to get his big break in the medical drama 'ER' as Dr Doug Ross.
3. George Clooney and Brad Pitt 'check in on each other' now and then
George recently told GQ that the two "check in on each other" occasionally, which is an "important" aspect of friendship given that life may get "complicated at times." Brad said that his friend is the "best at understanding" and that he speaks with him on "numerous occasions" when things are tough. The actors have been crowned People's Sexiest Men Alive several times, but that hasn't stopped them from becoming real friends. Brad and George respect and admire each other's abilities and accomplishments without reservation. The 'Troy' actor said that they had "been through so much life at this point and so many twists and curves and turns". "I know he's got my back. I got his back," said Pitt.
4. Brad Pitt always responds with clever jokes when George Clooney tries to prank him
Brad Pitt and George Clooney like to pull practical pranks on each other, occasionally involving other celebrities as well. George once pretended to be Brad when sending a package of CDs with professional dialect lessons to Meryl Streep. George had also cracked a joke once, remarking, "Brad was obviously the cheapest actor available," when he and Brad revealed they would be co-producing and starring in a thriller. Brad played a practical joke on George during the making of 'Ocean's Eleven' in Italy, which was reported by the Italian press. George was called "Clooney Il Divo" by the media, which means "The Diva", and the locals took the news seriously.
5. Bromance began waning off after George Clooney's wedding to Amal Clooney
According to reports, the duo's friendship had "cooled" after Brad and his ex-wife Angelina Jolie did not attend George's 2014 wedding to Amal Alamuddin because Jolie allegedly believed that she was "snubbed" by the bride. Despite living relatively nearby in Malta, Brad did not attend George's opulent Venetian wedding to Amal in 2014, and speculation circulated that their bromance was over. Brad was also expected to be George's best man, so when he gave the wedding a miss, tongues started wagging. Additionally, it was reported that Jolie detested Amal and thought the human rights attorney was a "rival" to her, per Daily Mail. Given that Brangelina is currently infamously going through a contentious divorce, it seems that George and Brad have managed to rekindle their friendship.
6. George Clooney and Brad Pitt worked together in many movies
Together, the buddies have starred in a number of films. However, they made their big screen debut together in the 2001 version of 'Ocean's Eleven,' which also featured Bernie Mac, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, and Casey Affleck. Later, the two friends got back together to star in 'Ocean's Twelve' (2004) and 'Ocean's Thirteen' (2007). Brad and George reunited for the action comedy 'Wolfs', 16 years after they appeared together on the big screen in 'Burn After Reading' (2008). They are currently at the annual Venice Film Festival, alongside Brad's his new girlfriend Ines de Ramon and George's wife Amal.
