George Clooney has decided that he has reached an age where on-screen intimacy no longer feels appropriate. The veteran actor came to this conclusion after a candid discussion with his wife, human rights attorney Amal Clooney. He realized that regardless of physical fitness or cosmetic maintenance, he is transitioning into a different stage of his career. In Clooney’s view, cinematic displays of affection are a territory best left to the younger generation of performers.
“When I hit 60, I had a conversation with my wife. I told her, ‘Look, I’m still playing basketball with the guys. I’m keeping up with 25-year-olds. I’m active and staying in shape. But 25 years from now, I’ll be 85. It doesn’t matter how many granola bars you eat—that is a real, unavoidable number.’”
Notably, this shift in perspective has also led the actor to step back from the romantic comedy genre entirely, as those roles almost invariably require the very scenes he is now avoiding.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Clooney’s kissing has been a point of contention. Earlier in his career, he famously encountered a director who criticized his technique, bluntly informing the actor that he was performing the romantic gestures all wrong.
