If you’d have to guess, you would not probably get closer to the movie that terrified George Clooney. Of course, in our heads, Batman & Robin would pop up to be the scariest movie in his career but it was far from it.
Certainly, Clooney would hate to talk about his disastrous 1997 DC movie playing Batman against Arnold Schwarzenegger’s supervillain Mr. Freeze. However, the decorated Hollywood actor has opened up about the movie that sent shivers down his spine.
George Clooney Was Terrified Of One Coen Brothers Movie
George Clooney and the Coen Brothers have been long-time collaborators as the actor went on to appear in five movies from the directors duo. As their go-to guy, Clooney appeared in Intolerable Cruelty, Burn After Reading, Hail, Caesar!, and Suburbicon but his appearance in the 2000 movie, O Brother, Where Art Thou? by Coen Brothers terrified the actor. The movie “was definitely the scariest for me, because I knew I would have to play a character,” Clooney told The Guardian during a conversation in 2002.
“But if I was ever going to do a goofball comedy, it would be with the Coen brothers. It couldn’t be a Jim Carrey kind of role.”
O Brother, Where Art Thou? is certainly one of the greatest collaborations from the actor/director duo, if not the best. Also, adapted from Homer’s epic poem Odyssey, critics rank the film as one of the Coen Brothers’ most notable works.
George Clooney Nodded To The Movie Wrecking The Nerves
Clooney was not going to give up on the role as he had utter faith in the directors. Clooney further revealed how he was roped into the part. “We’ve got this part for you. It’s about an idiot,” the actor told The Guardian reflecting on how the Coen Brothers approached him.
“He’s about the dumbest guy you’ll ever meet. We think you’re perfect for it! I’m like, ‘I’m flattered. Thanks, guys. I’m in.’”
Also, Clooney’s faith in the directors of O Brother, Where Art Thou? set the mark for the beginning of their long-time collaboration. Clooney said yes to the project without even reading the script. “They came to see me in Phoenix when I was doing ‘Three Kings,’” Clooney told LA Times.
“They came to my hotel room, put the script on the coffee table, and I said, ‘Great, I’m in.’ They said, ‘Don’t you want to read the script first?’ I said, ‘No, I know what you guys do.’”
Clooney’s faith in the director duo has given birth to the masterful comedy. Also, it is one of the greatest performances by the actor. Rising above the scare may not have been easy but it has turned the tide in their favor. The movie secured two Oscar nods including Best Adapted Screenplay.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? Is available for rent on video-on-demand platforms including Apple TV.
