George Clooney plays filmstar in ‘Jay Kelly’ in upcoming film

Actor pulls from personal experience of balancing work and family life

Two-time Oscar winner George Clooney drew from his own life to play a Hollywood legend in his new film Jay Kelly. The comedy-drama stars Clooney as ageing global superstar Jay Kelly and combines humour with contemplation on the cost of celebrity and fame.

“There are elements certainly about the experience that I’ve had, but not so many regrets, which I think is ‘thank God’,” Clooney, 64, said while attending the film’s London Film Festival premiere on Friday.

“It’s personal, but 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 time to screw it up. And I have friends that I don’t pay.”

Directed by Noah Baumbach, who co-wrote the screenplay with actor Emily Mortimer, Jay Kelly sees the titular character reflect on his past and present as he travels to Europe with his large entourage.

The group, including his publicist Liz, played by Laura Dern, and hair and makeup artist Candy (Mortimer), slowly disintegrates along the journey. But Kelly’s loyal manager Ron, portrayed by Adam Sandler, stays by his side and takes stock of his own life.

“You see somebody who, when they make a film, it takes a lot of time away from your family. I’ve always tried to bring family around as much as possible,” said Sandler. “And like anyone who works for a living, you’re away from some stuff you wish you weren’t missing. It’s dealing with that pain and finding out the best balance.”

Baumbach, whose previous films include Marriage Story and White Noise and who co-wrote the hit film Barbie with his wife Greta Gerwig, said he set out to make a film about an actor in crisis.

“I think it was a way to tell a story about all of us in some way,” said Baumbach. “An actor was a kind of stand-in for all of us who are trying to figure out the gap between how we present ourselves to the world and who we may actually be, and as we get older, also how we contend with that.”

Jay Kelly, which features a starry supporting cast including Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Louis Partridge, Isla Fisher, Jim Broadbent and Gerwig, receives a limited theatrical release in November and starts streaming on Netflix on December 5.