George Clooney has pulled out of events at the Venice Film Festival due to a “bad sinus infection”.
The Hollywood star was absent from a press conference for his latest film Jay Kelly because of illness, but is expected to attend the film’s world premiere on the Lido on Tuesday evening.
His co-stars Adam Sandler, Laura Dern and Billy Crudup attended the event in Italy without him, alongside the film’s director Noah Baumbach and actress Emily Mortimer, who wrote the script with Baumbach.
Everybody knows Jay Kelly, but Jay Kelly doesn't know himself.
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) May 6, 2025
JAY KELLY stars George Clooney and Adam Sandler.
A Noah Baumbach Picture.
In cinemas 14 November and on Netflix 5 December. pic.twitter.com/ObRgdD8NFV
Clooney also missed a press junket for the film, as well as a cast dinner, according to US publication People.
Speaking at the press conference, Dern said Clooney was “so devastated” he could not be at the event.
The press conference moderator told journalists: “George Clooney is not going to be here because he has a bad sinus infection and I think he should be on the red carpet tonight and he’s very sorry he can’t be with us.”
Baumbach added: “Even movie stars get sick.”
In the film, Clooney plays the the titular Kelly, a famous movie star, while Sandler plays his devoted manager, as they embark on a journey of self discovery on a trip across Europe.
Baumbach discussed writing the film specifically for Ocean’s Eleven star Clooney, saying: “I’ve known George over the years and have been wanting to find something to do with him and early on we started to say ‘This is going to be George.’
“I felt it was really important the audience watching the movie have a relationship with the actor playing the character, so that we all watching it have a history with George – just like the people in the movie have a history with Jay.
“The character is running from himself for so much of the movie and deflecting and trying to hide, and what essentially I was asking of George was to reveal more and more of himself as he does that.”
Clooney was photographed arriving in Venice in a water taxi with his wife Amal Clooney on Tuesday.
Jay Kelly will be released in UK cinemas on November 14 and will launch on Netflix on December 5.
