George Clooney<\/a> has hit back at critics who questioned his versatility as an actor, claiming that he \u201cdoesn\u2019t give a s***\u201d what anyone thinks.<\/p>\n The Hollywood movie star and director, 64, was recently subject to criticism from American attorney Hunter Biden,<\/a> who took aim at the Good Night and Good Luck star\u2019s acting talents and suggested he merely played himself when taking on roles.<\/p>\n In a new interview with Vanity Fair,<\/a> Clooney was asked about the comments made by Biden \u2013 the son of former president Joe. In response, the Gravity star said: \u201cDo people say that I only play myself? I don\u2019t give a s***. <\/p>\n He continued: \u201cThere aren\u2019t 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\u2019m playing myself all the time, I don\u2019t give a s***.\u201d<\/p>\n Clooney, who won an Oscar for his role in Syriana, then quoted the character he plays in new movies Jay Kelly: \u201cHave you ever tried playing yourself? It\u2019s hard to do.\u201d<\/p>\n He then explained that he benefitted from not experiencing success in his career until starring in his first big hit, the TV drama ER, by which point he\u2019d already been acting for 12 years.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been the beneficiary of having my career not be massively successful in lots of different directions,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t really get successful, in the kind of success that can be blinding, until I was 33 years old. I\u2019d 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Jay Kelly, which is the new film from Frances Ha director Noah Baumbach, premieres at the Venice Film Festival<\/a> later this month. In the film, Clooney plays a famous actor on a trip through Europe with his longtime manager, portrayed by Adam Sandler.<\/p>\n It also stars Laura Dern, Isla Fisher, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, Stacy Keach, Riley Keough, Patrick Wilson, Jim Broadbent, Eve Hewson, Lenny Henry and Ruby Stokes.<\/p>\n In July 2024<\/a>, Clooney wrote a much-discussed op-ed for The New York Times <\/a>encouraging Joe Biden to step aside so that the Democrats could appoint a new nominee in the 2024 presidential campaign. <\/p>\n![\"George](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2214086178.jpg\")
George Clooney claimed that there aren\u2019t many actors in his age group that have been \u2018allowed\u2019 to do the types of films he has (Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)<\/p>\n