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George Clooney recalled losing a role in Ridley Scott's Thelma & Louise to Brad Pitt after making it to the final test
"But, of course, when I saw it, I was like, 'Well, it had to be that guy,' " the Jay Kelly actor said
Pitt previously shared that he was offered the part after auditioning three separate times
George Clooneyis reflecting on what could have been.
While reminiscing about the early days of his career, the 64-year-old actor recently toldThe Sunday Timesthat he vividly remembers his desire to break out of his usual TV roles to become a serious film actor. But just when he thought he was going to get his big break as J.D. in 1991'sThelma & Louise,Brad Pittentered the picture.
"I got to the final test for a role inThelma & Louise," Clooney recalled of theRidley Scott-directed film. "And, motherf------, Brad got it."
"I didn't watchThelma & Louisefor years because I was annoyed," he continued. "The part launched his career in film. He was doing sitcoms and crap before, so when it was the thing that could've launched me? F---!"
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Now,the two have become longtime friendsand have starred in a number of movies together, includingOcean's Elevenand its sequels. And once Clooney finally brought himself to watchThelma & Louise, he admitted that Pitt, 61, was the obvious choice for the role.
"He gives me s---," theJay Kellyactor said of theF1star. "But, of course, when I saw it, I was like, 'Well, it had to be that guy.' "
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For his part, Pitt previously recalled that the casting agents "went through a couple of other actors" before officially offering him the part.
"I just thought, I'm the guy for this," he said in a January 2023 cover interview forWMagazine's Best Performances issue. "I didn't get the part at first, and then it came back around, and I didn't get it again, and I went, 'Huh. All right. Moving on.' And then it came back around again … I feel like it was three times."
He also went on to share insight into thefamous love scene that sparked his "entry into the big leagues."
"Geena [Davis]was so sweet and kind and delicate," Pitt recalled of his experience filmingone of Hollywood's steamiest sex scenesalongside Davis, who portrayed Thelma Dickinson. "That love scene, I think, went on for two days of shooting. She took care of me."
Meanwhile, Davis, 69, said that sheremembered being impressed by the fresh-faced actorfrom the moment she saw his audition.
"He just has 'it,' " she told PEOPLE in February 2020. "I could tell when he was auditioning that he was super talented. He has done so many incredible things over the years."
She added, "He really is the 'star' of the moment, which is fabulous, and it is just great to see."
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