NEW YORK CITY, April 3 — George Clooney made his highly anticipated Broadway debut on Thursday, taking the stage at the Winter Garden Theater in Good Night, and Good Luck. The two-time Oscar winner, 63, stars as CBS news journalist Edward R. Murrow in the stage adaptation of the 2005 film.
Ahead of the opening night, Clooney had been spotted with light brown hair in preparation for the role. However, it wasn’t until the show’s premiere that the actor revealed his full transformation, appearing with a darker brunette hairstyle.
Throughout the evening, Clooney sported a gelled-back look with a clean-shaven face, channeling Murrow’s distinctive appearance. The darker hue recalled the hair color Clooney wore in the ’80s and ’90s, when he was known for his signature dark brown waves during his time on The Facts of Life. By the mid-90s, his style shifted to a cropped cut for ER, a look that closely resembles his current one.
Clooney’s major hair change was just one highlight of his Broadway debut, which attracted a star-studded crowd. A-listers including Jennifer Lopez and her daughter Emme, Clooney’s Casamigos partner Rande Gerber with wife Cindy Crawford and daughter Kaia, Monica Lewinsky, and Pierce Brosnan with wife Keely Shaye Smith were all in attendance.
Though his wife, Amal Clooney, was absent, George explained on the red carpet that she was home with their twins, Alexander and Ella, who are 7 years old.
Clooney’s transition from Hollywood to Broadway was highly anticipated, though it did come with some challenges. In a March 23 appearance on 60 Minutes, Clooney discussed the difficulty of smoking prop cigarettes in rehearsals for the role. He revealed that many of his family members had died from lung cancer, making the experience especially challenging for him.
Clooney previously directed the film version of Good Night, and Good Luck, in which David Strathairn portrayed Murrow. In the film, Clooney played Murrow’s news producer Fred W. Friendly.
