Clooney Cautions Against the Pitfalls of Early Fame

In a recent Q&A, acclaimed actor George Clooney opened up about the difficulties of finding fame at a young age, drawing from the experiences of his late aunt, renowned singer Rosemary Clooney.

Clooney recalled how his aunt, who achieved stardom at just 19 years old, struggled to maintain her career as the music industry shifted. "She was on the road singing and came back and they were like, 'What happened to you?' And she's like, 'I'm done,' at 24 years old," Clooney told the audience. Rosemary Clooney's career decline led to personal struggles with substance abuse, which Clooney said she had to overcome for decades before a comeback.

The 64-year-old actor noted that the "lesson" he learned from his aunt's experience was to not take fame for granted, as it is often more about "circumstance and a beautiful script and director and extraordinary actors" than individual talent. Clooney's new film "Jay Kelly," in which he stars alongside Adam Sandler, explores the challenges of sudden stardom, with Clooney's character being a "guy who got famous much younger" than the actor himself.

Clooney acknowledged that if he had found fame at a young age, he may have struggled to handle it, joking, "I think if things had worked out when I was 21 years old and suddenly was starring in films and things that ... I would have been shooting crack into my forehead."