Following a decades-long acting career, George Clooney isn’t ready to leave Hollywood for Washington, D.C. just yet. Amid growing discussions that several leading Hollywood figures could run for office, the Midnight Sky actor seemingly nixed any hope of a political career during an interview on BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show.
Speaking with Marr while promoting his upcoming film The Tender Bar, the discussion turned to politics and the likelihood of Clooney putting his name on the ballot. However, when asked if he would consider going into politics, Clooney, without hesitation, said “no.” Noting that he is now 60, the actor said he “would actually like to have a nice life” and revealed he plans to take on fewer projects in order to enjoy his life and time with his wife Amal Clooney and their two children, twins Alexander and Ella.
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“I turned 60 this year, and I had a conversation with my wife [Amal Clooney], and we were working a lot, as we both do, and I said, ‘We have to think of these as the halcyon years.’ If we have our health, which we do … and I’m 60 and I can still play basketball and still do the things I love, but in 20 years I will be 80, and that’s a real number,” he said. “[It] doesn’t matter how much you work out, what you eat. You’re 80. And so I said, ‘We have to make sure we enjoy and live these years in the best possible way.’”
Although he doesn’t plan to run for office, Clooney had plenty to say about the current political arena, telling Marr that “there’s a lot of things that have to be repaired. There’s a lot of healing that has to happen, and it’s going to take time.” He also commented on President Joe Biden’s fluctuating poll numbers, explaining that “poll numbers come up and go down. I would expect them to go back up again. Donald Trump’s numbers went up and down.”
While it’s unlikely that fans will see Clooney’s name on the ballot anytime soon, if ever, there is a chance that several other Hollywood A-listers could be putting their name in the running for various political roles. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson said in February that he “would consider a presidential run in the future if that’s what the people wanted.” There has also been plenty of chatter surrounding Matthew McConaughey, who has suggested on numerous occasions that he may put his name in the running in the 2022 Texas gubernatorial race against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
