George Clooney’s latest appearance is drawing more attention than his new Broadway role — and not all of it is positive.
The 63-year-old actor appeared in a recent CNN interview with noticeably darker hair, a dramatic change from his usual salt-and-pepper look. The new hairstyle, reportedly for his upcoming role as legendary journalist Edward R. Murrow in the Broadway adaptation of Good Night, And Good Luck, quickly became a hot topic on social media.
Although Clooney discussed serious matters in the interview, including politics and his suggestion to lead the Democratic Party, viewers were more focused on his hair. Many online users joked about his new look, with one posting, “First day at my new job dyeing George Clooney’s hair, how’d I do y’all?” Others compared him to game show hosts and even suggested the change looked unnatural.
“Very game show host-ey,” one commenter wrote. Another added, “Yes, I know it’s for a role, but it still looks a little silly.” Some users went further with the criticism, calling the hair “recession indicator” levels of bad and comparing Clooney to actor John Goodman. “You got him looking casket ready!” one person joked, while another wrote, “Walks into the salon, ‘give me the Walter Matthau.’”
Clooney himself has acknowledged the risks of changing his look. In a February interview with The New York Times, he admitted his wife, Amal, and their six-year-old twins might not like it. “My wife is going to hate it because nothing makes you look older than when an older guy dyes his hair,” Clooney said. “My kids are going to just laugh at me nonstop.”
Clooney and Amal, a British-Lebanese human rights lawyer, have been married since 2014. His hair transformation comes as a number of Hollywood stars seem to be experimenting with darker hair, sparking talk of a midlife crisis trend. Leonardo DiCaprio recently debuted a glossier brown hairstyle during awards season and at CinemaCon. Ben Affleck has also appeared with darker hair following his split from Jennifer Lopez in 2024.
Good Night, And Good Luck originally premiered as a film in 2005, directed by Clooney, who also played CBS President Fred Friendly. David Strathairn starred as Murrow. The black-and-white movie focused on Murrow’s public challenge to Senator Joseph McCarthy’s anti-communist investigations. It received six Oscar nominations and made $54.6 million at the box office on a $7 million budget.
Clooney is now stepping into the lead role of Murrow for his Broadway debut. In addition to this stage project, he will also star in Jay Kelly, a new ensemble dramedy. The film is directed by Barbie co-writer Noah Baumbach and marks their first collaboration.
Despite the online teasing, Clooney continues to take creative risks — on stage, on screen, and in front of the mirror.
