George Clooney has publicly countered Quentin Tarantino’s harsh remarks about fellow actors Paul Dano, Owen Wilson, and Matthew Lillard. Accepting the Best Actor award for Jay Kelly at the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards on January 10, Clooney declared, “By the way, Paul Dano and Owen Wilson and Matthew Lillard, I would be honored to work with those actors. Honored.” This directly responded to Tarantino’s December 2025 criticisms, in which he disparaged Dano as “the weakest fucking actor in SAG,” expressed his disdain for Wilson, and dismissed Lillard’s abilities.

During his acceptance speech, Clooney highlighted his commitment to working with people who value actors. He described Jay Kelly as a film “made by people who love actors,” underscoring his deep affinity for collaboration. Clooney also addressed the current climate in Hollywood, warning, “We are living in a time of cruelty. We don’t need to be adding to it,” advocating for respect and professionalism within the industry.

Reflecting on a prior slight from Tarantino, Clooney recounted the 2024 remark that he was not a “movie star.” “Quentin said some shit about me recently, so I’m a little irritated by him,” Clooney noted, referencing Tarantino’s exclusion of his name in an interview listing movie stars. Despite this, Clooney recalled his early career as a “great time as a young actor” and joked that his AARP award was due to Timothée Chalamet being “too goddamn young.”

Clooney also expressed gratitude for his role in Jay Kelly, directed by Noah Baumbach. He praised the “beautiful” script and called himself “lucky” to play the character. He cherished reuniting with co-star Laura Derns, his first film colleague from Grizzly II: Revenge, describing the reunion as another stroke of fortune.

Ending on a note of resilience, Clooney reflected, “It’s going to be a long, tough couple of years, but we’ll all get through it together.” The award was presented by his former ER co-star Noah Wyle. In a light-hearted exchange, Clooney suggested Wyle be the first candidate for a hypothetical “sexiest man still alive” feature, joking, “When I grow up, I want to be Noah Wyle.”

The AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, celebrating films made by and for those aged 50 and above, premiered on PBS on February 22. Clooney’s speech provided a rare moment to publicly advocate for kindness, integrity, and collaboration amidst Hollywood’s often combative culture.