Hollywood actor George Clooney and actor Anil Kapoor came together for a session recently, and what ensued was an afternoon of candid conversation and confessions of mutual admiration, interspersed with moments of laughter. From their filmography to fitness secrets, the stars discussed a wide range of topics at the 20th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2022, held last weekend in New Delhi.

The session commenced on a witty note, with Kapoor lauding Clooney for his hairstyle. “I have got a trimmer and I cut my own hair. My wife (Amal Clooney, lawyer) looks at me, thinking, ‘There is something wrong with me’,” chuckled the Hollywood star, who joined in virtually.

“Sometime back, I did a film, Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), and I requested a George Clooney look. I had to sit for 100 hours. While I didn’t get it exactly, the look swept all the awards and was much talked about,” Kapoor admitted, prompting Clooney to say, “I am a big believer that my hair has got me a long way.”

Kapoor, 65, also lauded the 61-year-old for the way he has maintained his physique and fitness, to which the father of two quipped: “I pay people to workout for me!”

Steering the conversation towards films, Kapoor touched upon the kind of versatility Clooney’s filmography reflects. Here, the latter revealed that growing up, he didn’t harbour any dreams of entering showbiz, and went on to say that a bunch of “terrible” jobs led him to the glamour world.

“I grew up on a tobacco farm in Kentucky… I knew I didn’t want to do that. I thought there might be something more fun to do in life. So, I moved out to California, lived with a buddy and rode a bicycle to auditions. For me, everything has just been mostly about luck and I am very appreciative of it,” he said, adding, “I never really considered acting as a profession because I didn’t know anyone who was an actor. It has been a long haul, there has been a lot of auditioning, failures, a lot of nos. Sometimes, when you are successful, you get too much credit. It requires a great deal of luck, to be at the right place at the right time.”

Kapoor reflected on his career, too. He said, “I’ve done all kinds of films, including drama, action and comedy. But, I haven’t done a sci-fi [film] yet. I would love to do that someday. I did a show of the genre, but unfortunately, it was not greenlit.”

When asked what his favourite genre is, Clooney said, “I grew up in the ’60s and ’70s, which was a really exciting time for American cinema. We had the Vietnam War movement, civil rights movement, women’s rights movement, anti drug movement. So, movies were really interesting from about 1964 to 1976… I have always been drawn to political thrillers. They are fun and exciting to do. But, you have to be careful. You don’t want to sound preachy.”

However, Clooney clarified that he has no intentions of entering politics, despite being someone who is known to raise his voice on pertinent societal issues. “I don’t want to be making decisions on people’s life and death. Those are very important decisions to make along the way, and they should be made by people who have had a wide swath of experience,” said the father of two, adding, “To run for office, you have to compromise on your own beliefs. I don’t want to do that. I can stand up for the things I believe in. The only results will be that if people are unhappy, they won’t go see my projects, and I can live with that.”

Clooney was recently seen in the romantic comedy Ticket To Paradise, which fared well at the box office. The actor said he is glad to see the revival of the big screen, after a two-year pandemic-induced lull. “Theatres were hit hard in the last few years. There’s a lot of business as streamers, but theatres themselves have really been hurt. It was important for us to have a film that can bring people back people to theatres,” he said.

The session turned out to be a masterclass for aspiring actors, too. Clooney said, “When people go to auditions, the thought in mind usually is, ‘I hope they like me, I hope I don’t screw up’. But the truth is, the producer/ director who is sitting on the couch is just hoping that you are the right one. If you just change that attitude before walking into the door, it changes everything.”

Ending the session on a high note, the actors shook a leg to The Punjaabban Song from Kapoor’s film JugJugg Jeeyo. The latter also pitched for Clooney to suggest his name for his next Hollywood project.