George Clooney revisits fame and family in 'Jay Kelly'

Actor channels his own experiences of ageing, success and fatherhood in bittersweet reflection on cost of celebrity

George Clooney, the consummate Hollywood gentleman with two Oscars to his name, is once again turning the lens inward in his latest film 'Jay Kelly'. The actor plays an ageing movie star confronting the fading glow of fame, drawing from his own experiences of balancing celebrity, work and fatherhood.

Premiering at the London Film Festival on Friday, the Noah Baumbach-directed comedy-drama explores the loneliness behind public adoration. Clooney, now 64, admitted the story carried traces of his own life, though his outlook remains far sunnier than that of the troubled character he portrays.

"There are elements certainly about the experience that I've had, but not so many regrets, which I think is 'thank God'," he said with a grin. "I'm not as unhappy as that guy. I have a family that I love and kids who I think still love me—they're eight, there's still time to screw it up. And I have friends that I don't pay."

Written by Baumbach and actor Emily Mortimer, 'Jay Kelly' follows a fading icon and his entourage on a reflective European trip. Along the way, loyalties are tested, and the distance between image and reality grows painfully clear.

Laura Dern plays Jay's publicist Liz, while Mortimer steps in as his sharp-tongued stylist Candy. Adam Sandler, in a quieter turn, plays Ron, the loyal manager who anchors the star's unravelling world.

Sandler, too, found the story personal. "When you make a film, it takes a lot of time away from your family," he said. "Like anyone who works for a living, you're away from moments you wish you weren't missing. It's dealing with that pain and finding balance."

For Baumbach, whose credits include Marriage Story and White Noise, the film is about more than an actor in crisis—it's a mirror for anyone wrestling with identity and purpose. "An actor felt like a stand-in for all of us," he said. "It's about that gap between how we present ourselves and who we truly are."

With a glittering ensemble featuring Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Louis Partridge, Isla Fisher, Jim Broadbent and Greta Gerwig, 'Jay Kelly' promises both humour and melancholy. The film opens in select cinemas this November before streaming globally on Netflix from December 5.