George Clooney doesn’t ‘give a s**t’ about critics who say he only plays himself in movies

Expanding on his point, the 64-year-old defended the versatility he’s brought to his film roles over the years. “There aren’t that many guys in my age group that are allowed to do both broad comedies like O Brother, Where Art Thou? and then do Michael Clayton or Syriana. So if that means I’m playing myself all the time, I don’t give a s**t. … Have you ever tried playing yourself? It’s hard to do,” he said.

George, whose on-screen charm has often blurred with his off-screen persona, reflected on how the timing of his success shaped his perspective. “I’ve been the beneficiary of having my career not be massively successful in lots of different directions,” he explained.

“I didn’t really get successful, in the kind of success that can be blinding, until I was 33 years old. I’d been working for 12 years at that point. I had a real understanding of how fleeting all of it is and how little it has to do with you, quite honestly,” added George.

The actor and filmmaker, is far from slowing down. He will next be seen in Jay Kelly, written by Noah Baumbach and Emily Mortimer. In the movie, George plays the titular role of a world-famous movie star in his 60s who travels to an Italian film festival to receive a tribute award — only to confront a deeply personal reckoning. The film also stars Laura Dern as his longtime publicist and Adam Sandler as his manager.

Whether he’s playing “himself” or not, George Clooney’s staying power — and refusal to play by anyone’s rules but his own — is part of what continues to define his career.