George Clooney can already hear the laughter coming from his family after having to dye his hair for his Broadway debut in Good Night, and Good Luck.
“My wife [Amal Clooney] is going to hate it because nothing makes you look older than when an older guy dyes his hair,” George, 63, said during an interview with The New York Times published Thursday, February 20.
To accurately portray CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow, George will have to cover up his salt-and-pepper hair with a black dye. The costume change is necessary, but the actor knows he’ll get flack at home for it.
“My kids are going to just laugh at me nonstop,” he revealed, referring to his and Amal’s 7-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella.
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George also had to perfect his “inhaling” for the role. Murrow had a three-pack-a-day habit of smoking cigarettes before he died in 1965 after a battle with lung cancer. The broadcaster was 57.
“I go outside so the kids don’t see and smoke a little bit,” George said of his Broadway prep, noting he planned to use herbal cigarettes while on stage.
The actor noted that he’s personally not a fan of smoking because “eight uncles and aunts all died of lung cancer,” while his father, who is 91, didn’t smoke and is still alive and kicking.
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While George previously starred in the 2005 movie Good Night, and Good Luck, he’ll be switching things up in its Broadway adaptation. He played nonsmoker and TV producer Fred Friendly in the film, but this time around he’s tackling the See It Now host Murrow, who famously connected with radio listeners during his WWII broadcasts before becoming a TV anchor.
When he’s not preparing for the Broadway show, which premieres in March, George said he’s soaking up every moment with his wife and children — even if his kids don’t really care about his career accolades.
“My son’s favorite hero is Batman. I’m like, ‘You know I was Batman.’ He’s like, ‘Not really.’ I go, ‘You have no idea how right you are,’” George quipped. “If he knew that I was that Batman, he’d never have respect for me.” (George portrayed Batman/Bruce Wayne in 1997’s Batman & Robin. He has since apologized for being the Batman with nipples.)
Although Alexander doesn’t care about who his dad has played in a movie, the Oscar winner is happy to go along with whatever activity he and his sister want: including bowling.
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“I haven’t been bowling in 30 years. Oh my God! It’s an amazing thing, getting older, where you think you can still do stuff that you love,” George said after recently hitting the bowling alley with his family.
The ER alum added that as he gets older, his children have managed to keep him young.
“We’re riding in the car to school, and I make them listen to heavy metal because I just like it when they sing,” George said of his go-to bonding tactics. “My daughter has fallen in love with tragic songs. She loves Billie Eilish’s ‘What Was I Made For?’ and Harry Nilsson’s ‘Without You.’ But they’re happy kids, so I’m really lucky.”
