Clooney Recounts ‘Annoyed’ Episode Losing Pitt-Launching Role

By Zoe Papadakis
Monday, December 1, 2025

Actor George Clooney has shared his lingering frustration over losing a pivotal early role to actor Brad Pitt in the iconic film “Thelma & Louise.”

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Clooney recounted how he reached the final round of auditions for the part of J.D., originally intended as a career-launching opportunity. However, the role ultimately went to Pitt, who was previously known more for his comedic work.

“I got to the final test for a role in Thelma & Louise,” Clooney stated. “And, motherf, Brad got it.” He revealed that he couldn’t bring himself to watch the film for years because of this setback, saying: “The part launched his career… F!”

Despite initially missing out on the role, Pitt later reflected positively about Clooney’s audition experience. According to a previous W Magazine interview where Pitt discussed Best Performances issue content, he said casting agents considered several actors including Clooney in multiple rounds before finalizing their choice.

Co-star Geena Davis added her perspective during a 2022 appearance on The Graham Norton Show regarding the three-way competition for J.D.: “They had me read scenes with each… Each one came in, they were very handsome, brown-haired and talented.” She specifically noted that Pitt immediately stood out due to his charisma.

Davis said she told producers at some point: “I just thought I’d like the blonde,” referring to Clooney. That preference led directly to Clooney’s casting despite reaching an earlier stage of the process than Pitt or Davis described in their subsequent interviews with other actors, including Mark Ruffalo and Grant Hurst (Show).