George Clooney talks about the Hollywood stars who turned down the lead role Ocean’s Eleven.
Clooney and director Steven Soderbergh celebrated the 2001 film at the 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival. Clooney announced that Mark Wahlberg and Johnny Depp were in talks to play Linus, with the role eventually going to Matt Damon.
“Steven just did it Erin Brockovich And Trafficand he was nominated to direct both films,” Clooney said via Weekly entertainment. “So people really wanted to work with Steven.”
Soderbergh added that some actors turned down the offer, while Clooney added, “They did it.” Some very famous people told us to get out of here. Mark Wahlberg, Johnny Depp. There were others. Now they regret it. I’m sorry I did that Batman.”
The director recalled coming up with the idea Ocean’s Eleven came as he tried to combine his work with indies with mainstream big-budget Hollywood films.
“It felt like the next iteration of my desire to work in the mainstream film industry and make films that could be released in many theaters,” Soderbergh said.
Clooney added: “It’s also important to understand where we were at the time. The studios back then were making really big, broad, not very good films. Steven came up with the idea of bringing all these independent films that taught all these young filmmakers back into the studio system. It would go back to the things they did from 1964 to 1975.
Source: Deadline
Bernice Bonaparte is an author and entertainment journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a passion for pop culture and a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest entertainment news, Bernice has become a trusted source for information on the entertainment industry.
