George Clooney Reflects on Painful Audition Mix-Up with Coppola

George Clooney recently opened up about a challenging moment from his past—a “terrible audition” for the 1992 film, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The actor, now 64, recalled how Coppola mistakenly believed he was intoxicated during the audition, a misunderstanding that still stings for him today.

During a conversation with Entertainment Weekly at the premiere of his upcoming film, Jay Kelly, Clooney reflected on the experience. He described the audition as one of his most difficult moments, stating, “I thought I was very good in the audition. I called my agent and I said, ‘How’d it go?’ And they said they just got the message back from Francis Ford Coppola, and he thought I was drunk.” Clooney emphasized that he was not under the influence at the time, and this assumption was particularly painful for him.

The actor speculated that Coppola’s interpretation may have stemmed from his use of painkillers following an injury. “I was just very relaxed. I was on Percodan,” he explained with a hint of humor. This incident is not a new revelation for Clooney; he previously mentioned it in 2016, when he humorously suggested that getting drunk to play a drunk character in a Coppola film would be “a good idea.” The plan, he admitted, did not yield the intended results.

Upcoming Film and Character Journey

Currently, Clooney is set to star in the comedy-drama film Jay Kelly, where he plays the lead role of an aging movie star on a journey of self-discovery across Europe. His character is joined by his manager, played by Adam Sandler. The film is scheduled to be released in select theaters on November 14, 2023, before making its way to Netflix on December 5, 2023.

As Clooney continues to navigate the complexities of his career, he remains candid about the challenges he has faced along the way. The story of his audition with Coppola serves as a reminder of the unpredictability of the entertainment industry and the personal hurdles that actors often encounter.