George Clooney explained why he’s stepping back from acting in the most George Clooney way possible

During an interview with the Sunday Times, George Clooney explained why he’s decided to step back from acting in the most George Clooney-way possible. The 56-year-old hasn’t been on screen since 2016 and frankly, he’s not seeing parts that are a great fit for him anymore. Clooney said, “Look, I acted for a long time and, you know, I’m 56. I’m not the guy that gets the girl anymore.” He also added that he “shouldn’t be the guy that gets the girl” anymore.

Basically, George Clooney is aging himself out of Hollywood — at least Hollywood romances.

It’s honestly refreshing to hear this from a leading man — especially because Hollywood is infamous for casting older men opposite much younger women. Many actresses in Hollywood have spoken out about the glaring double standard when it comes to this, and the difficulty of finding roles at as early as 30 years old (while men continue to work for decades).

But this doesn’t mean Clooney would say no to playing some guy other than the charming, romantic love interest. The father of twins said, “But, look, if somebody’s got Paul Newman in The Verdict, I’d jump. But there aren’t that many like that.”

Clooney’s also interested in pursuing projects that he’s passionate about now that he has both the time and means.

"Acting used to be how I paid the rent, but I sold a tequila company for a billion f*cking dollars. I don’t need money."

He added, “I have money. So I can fight to make movies I want to make. If you look at what I’ve been in over the past 15 years, for the most part they weren’t going to get made if I didn’t do them. Nobody was going to make Good Night, and Good Luck, Michael Clayton or Up in the Air, and I fought to get those out there.”

Hey, if we had a billion dollars, a ton of talent, and two adorable twins at home, we’d be picky about what kind of work we picked up, too. We love his candor, and can’t wait to see what he does next.