George Clooney, Hollywood’s favorite silver fox and the man responsible for making coffee pods look sexy, has officially declared his retirement from romantic roles. And the reason? Well, he’s 63 and not about to start competing with a bunch of TikTok heartthrobs for screen time.
“I’m not trying to compete with 25-year-old leading men. That’s not my job. I’m not doing romantic films anymore,” Clooney said in a recent sit-down with 60 Minutes, likely sipping an espresso and looking annoyingly good while doing so.
Instead of whispering sweet nothings to co-stars half his age, George has moved on to more “serious” roles—like playing real-life journalist Edward R. Murrow in the Broadway adaptation of Good Night, and Good Luck, based on his 2005 film. If you’re wondering, no, there are no steamy make-out scenes in this one. Just good old-fashioned journalism, mid-century suits, and probably a lot of stern head nodding.
And because Clooney can’t resist a moment to shake things up, he also used his 60 Minutes appearance to call out the government’s current, uh, “complicated” relationship with the media.
“We’re seeing this idea of using government to scare or fine or use corporations—to make journalists smaller,” he warned. Translation: He’s not just stepping away from romantic roles—he’s stepping up to talk about the messy state of politics, too.
So while Hollywood’s casting directors scramble to find the next Clooney-approved rom-com star, George will be busy fighting for journalistic integrity and probably polishing his impressive collection of salt-and-pepper beard trimmers.
And who knows? Maybe if someone writes a rom-com about a dashing 63-year-old coffee mogul who also saves democracy, he’ll reconsider.
