Julia Roberts and George Clooney rank among the most popular actors in Hollywood. They have evolved into a relatively dynamic duo. The two have worked together in six films and have a strong connection. Their first and most enduring collaboration was in 2001’s Ocean’s Eleven.
George Clooney shared a humorous story about how he convinced Julia Roberts to join the star-studded cast of Ocean’s Eleven for $20. The three films in the Ocean’s trilogy were all box office hits, collectively grossing over $1.1 billion worldwide.
George Clooney Jokingly Gave Julia Roberts $20 to Appear in Ocean’s Eleven
Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven saw an enviable array of Hollywood superstars sharing screen space in the heist thriller. The film got an ensemble cast that included George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Don Cheadle.
One of the biggest draws was Julia Roberts. Undoubtedly Hollywood’s sweetheart for her stunning presence over the years, the actor became the highest-paid female actor in the 2000s with an official salary of $20 million per film.
In an interview with GQ, George Clooney explained how he convinced Roberts to join the cast. The Pretty Woman actress starred as George Clooney’s character Danny Ocean’s wife in the 2001 heist film.
Clooney told GQ:
“I remember Julia. I didn’t know her. I’d never met her and she was making $20 million a film. And we just talked Brad [Pitt] into doing it and Matt [Damon] into doing it and we wanted Julia [Roberts] to do it. So, I put a $20 bill on a script and I sent it to her. And I said, ‘I hear you get $20 a picture now.’”
Ocean’s Eleven went on to be a critical and commercial success, grossing over $450 million worldwide. It also spawned two sequels Ocean’s Twelve (2004) and Ocean’s Thirteen (2007) and a female-led spin-off, Ocean’s 8.
The Actor Explained that It Was “spectacular” Working with Julia Roberts
Further in the interview, the Syriana actor said that the experience of working with Julia Roberts was “spectacular.” He said:
“She was spectacular to work with and is a dear friend.”
In the same interview, Clooney talked about working with all these actors including Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon. He said:
“There’s a fun thing about that gang that there was literally no ego involved in it. There’s a funny thing you see, and you can see it in the way that the scenes play. There was no actor in those scenes trying to steal scenes. They’re all kind of actively trying to hand it to the other guy.”
Apart from the Ocean’s Eleven sequels, Clooney and Roberts starred together in Ticket to Paradise, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Money Monster, and August: Osage County.
Watch Ocean’s Eleven on HBO Max.
Source: GQ
