Like many have suspected, George Clooney is definitely the generous type.
The 59-year-old actor, who was recently named GQ’s Icon of the Year, confirmed a longstanding rumor that he was able to give 14 of his closest friends $1 million dollars each in cash.
The former ER actor told the magazine that while at the time he did not have a family to spend his hard-earned money on he was happy to hand it to his pals: ‘What I do have are these guys who’ve all, over a period of 35 years, helped me in one way or another.’
‘They helped me when I needed help over the years’: GQ’s Man Of The Year George Clooney, 59, confirmed a longstanding rumor in an interview with the publication
Helping out: When the Ocean’s Eleven actor asked himself how he could repay his friends, he said: ‘How about a million bucks?’; seen here in a headshot for 80s sitcom The Facts of Life
He said: ‘I thought, you know, without them I don’t have any of this. And we’re all really close, and I just thought basically if I get hit by a bus, they’re all in the will.
‘So why the f*** am I waiting to get hit by a bus? I remember talking to one really rich a**hole who I ran into in a hotel in Vegas—certainly a lot richer than I am.
‘And I remember the story had come out, and he was like, “Why would you do that?” and I was like, “Why wouldn’t you do that, you schmuck?”‘
Some of Clooney’s best friends were actor-director Grant Heslov, Curb Your Enthusiasm cast member Richard Kind, and former actor Tommy Hinkley.
Fortunate friends: Clooney gave 14 of his friends $1 million in cash each. Seen here with Casamigos partner Rande Gerber; it is not known if Rande was one of the recipients
Looking back: The actor reflected that ‘without them I don’t have any of this’; he is seen with Rande, Cindy Crawford, Mike Meldman, and wife Amal in 2015
‘I was like, “I’m never getting married. I’m not gonna have kids,” I’m gonna work, I’ve got great friends, my life is full, I’m doing well,’ the star added.
‘And I didn’t know how un-full it was until I met Amal. And then everything changed. And I was like, “Oh, actually, this has been a huge empty space”…’ added the friend of Brad Pitt and Cindy Crawford.
‘I’d never been in the position where someone else’s life was infinitely more important to me than my own. And then tack on two more individuals, who are small and have to be fed…’
He said: ‘I didn’t know how un-full it was until I met Amal. And then everything changed. And I was like, “Oh, actually, this has been a huge empty space”…’ (pictured in March 2019)
George also reflected upon his acting career and said: ‘The only way you can honestly talk about things is to include yourself and your shortcomings in those things.
‘Like, when I say Batman & Robin’s a terrible film, I always go, “I was terrible in it.” Because I was.
‘But also because then it allows you the ability to say, “Having said I sucked in it, I can also say that none of these other elements worked, either. You know?”‘
The cover star added: ‘I’d never been in the position where someone else’s life was infinitely more important to me than my own’
George said he moved behind the camera because he doesn’t want his age to force him out of the movie industry which he adores so much.
He said: ‘I love this business. And I also don’t want to be 60 and worry about what some casting director or some young producer or studio executive thinks about me anymore. I wanted to be involved.
‘Directing is the painter. Acting, writing, you know, those are the paints.’
George also addressed the Breonna Taylor verdict in his home state of Kentucky.
He said: ‘I can’t believe it. There’s not even a manslaughter charge for a woman who was lying in bed and got shot to death.
Rubbing his eyes, he continued: ‘Imagine if those were three Black officers and they kicked in the door of a white person’s home and shot and killed the woman, the wife, in bed. Imagine that.
‘F***ing ridiculous. You know, it’s just infuriating.’
He said he hopes that the protests in his home state remain peaceful then, and adds: ‘You know, they talk about looting and stuff. Well, there have been an awful lot of Black bodies that have been looted for 400 f***ing years.’
George also spoke about letting other people, such as Chrissy Teigen handle trolls now. He said: ‘I have much more fun watching Chrissy Teigen. Somebody steps into her world and you go, “Oh, I wouldn’t do that, dude.”
‘It’s so much fun. Like somebody who thinks they’re really smart, and you just go, “Ugh, dude. You brought a knife to a gunfight.”‘
The December issue of GQ is available now.