Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

George Clooney says there aren’t ‘enough drugs in the world’ for him to play Batman again

The actor recently reprised the character for a brief cameo in ‘The Flash’

Kevin E G Perry
Wednesday 20 December 2023 00:48 GMT
Comments
George Clooney jokes about his age as he braves rain for The Boys in the Boat premiere

Your support helps us to tell the story

Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.

Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.

Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.

Louise Thomas

Louise Thomas

Editor

George Clooney has confirmed that we’ve seen the last of him in a Batman suit, joking: “I do not think there’s enough drugs in the world for me to go back.”

The actor and director was speaking to Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet for his new film The Boys in the Boat.

Clooney played the DC superhero in 1997’s Batman & Robin and recently reprised the character for a brief cameo in this year’s The Flash.

“I thought there was such a clamour for me to come back as Batman, as you know. There was a clamour,” Clooney quipped.

“I actually said, ‘Where are my rubber nipples?’ And they were like, ‘Can we do it without the rubber nipples?’ I was like, ‘Well, it’s not really my Batman, is it?’”

In 2020, Clooney admitted that his disastrous experience with Batman & Robin had taught him to “pick better films”.

Speaking to The Guardian, Clooney was asked what he would do differently if he could live his life again.

“Now, the obvious answer to your question would be to joke, Batman & Robin,” he said. “And I wouldn’t do it at all.” Adding that the movie was an important lesson, he said: “I learned that if you’re gonna be held responsible for a film, instead of just being an actor in that film, you’d better pick better films.”

George Clooney attends a screening of ‘The Boys In The Boat’ in New York
George Clooney attends a screening of ‘The Boys In The Boat’ in New York (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

Last week, Clooney revealed that he became so sick with Covid that he was forced to direct parts of The Boys in the Boat from bed.

Apple TV+ logo

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free
Apple TV+ logo

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free

The 62-year-old actor made parts of the new film on his iPad while bedbound after he fell ill with the virus – with his producer partner Grant Heslov lending a hand from the set.

Clooney told People magazine: “I was really sick. It was my first time getting Covid.

“I’m on an iPad hacking away from my bedroom. Grant was sitting on the camera and they’d hold up the iPad to Cal and I’d go, ‘Ah, go fast.’ I’d rasp out ‘Faster’ whatever that was.”

A string of other staff on the film – including star Joel Edgerton, 49 – were also hit with the virus.

Clooney added: “He went down first, by the way, in fairness. So if we’re looking for ground zero… .”

The actor and director believes an intimate dinner with cast members from the movie, which tells the story of the University of Washington’s rowing team of underdogs making it to the 1936 Olympics, helped spread the virus even though they were all “tested and vaccinated”.

He said: “We all landed in London. We’re going to shoot the next day. And so we have a tiny dinner for the crew.

“Meaning the rowers, our kids, and (stars) Hadley (Robinson) and Courtney (Henggeler) and (Edgerton) and me.

“That’s it. A tiny room. And out of that tiny room, let’s say there were 18 people there, 17 people got Covid.”

The Boys in the Boat is in US cinemas now and will arrive in the UK on 12 January.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in