Summary

• George Clooney reflects on his difficult time working with director David O. Russell, and says it's not worth the misery.
• Clooney and Russell previously worked together on Three Kings.
• Clooney's quarrel with the director is not unique, for there is a history of complaints against Russell.

George Clooney opens up about his infamous feud with Hollywood director David O. Russell. Russell and Clooney worked together on the film Three Kings back in 1999, which was a dark comedy about the Persian Gulf War and followed four soldiers seeking to steal back gold that was stolen from them in Kuwait. In addition to Clooney, the movie starred Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, Spike Jonze, Cliff Curtis, and Nora Dunn. Three Kings was well-regarded upon its release, and received a Critics Choice Awards nomination for Best Picture.

Speaking with GQ, Clooney now references his feud with Russell. Clooney begins by talking more generally about "time allotment," and how he is more discerning about what kind of time he will dedicate to projects nowadays. He then escalates his statement to say that gone are the days when he would be complacent having "a miserable f*ck like David O. Russell making [his] life hell." Check out the full quote from Clooney below:

People who like what they do. Like, you were talking about time allotment. The older you get, time allotment is very different. Five months out of your life is a lot. And so it’s not just like, “Oh, I’m going to go do a really good film, like Three Kings, and I’m going to have a miserable f*ck like David O. Russell making my life hell. Making every person on the crew’s life hell.” It’s not worth it. Not at this point in my life. Just to have a good product.

David O. Russell's Controversial Directorial History Explained

The Director Has Gotten Complaints Before

Clooney's recent commentary about Russell comes years after his fight with the Three Kings director was publicly revealed. After Russell reportedly said demeaning things towards extras on set, Clooney allegedly got into a physical altercation with the director. Said altercation was publicized in a 2000 Playboy article, wherein Clooney referred to his Three Kings job as "the worst experience of [his] life." The actor has since gone on to try to make amends with Russell, but clearly not enough to want to work with him again.

Still, Clooney's comments show that Russell's behavior won't be tolerated by some, and perhaps that will lead to changes down the line.

Clooney's feud with Russell is far from the only time that the director has received flack for something he did on set. In a video from the set of I Heart Huckabees, Russell is seen verbally abusing Lily Tomlin. The director's intensity, often to a fault, has been noted on numerous occasions, and the run-in with Tomlin has led some to assert that the director might also be sexist. Margot Robbie also mentioned that Russell overworked actors on the set of Amsterdam, refusing to call cut and extending production hours.

Despite the multiple instances of misbehavior, Russell's movies remain celebrated. He has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Director three times, for The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook, and American Hustle. Russell still has some repeat collaborators, including Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, and Jennifer Lawrence. Still, Clooney's comments show that Russell's behavior won't be tolerated by some, and perhaps that will lead to changes down the line.

Source: GQ