George Clooney Says He Still Loves Acting but Directing Is ‘More Fun’: ‘I Get to Boss Around’

Clooney helmed the new film, 'The Boys in the Boat'

George Clooney likes being the boss on set!

The actor, 62, admitted in a new interview that he has “more fun” as a director because he gets to “boss around” the cast as he discussed his experience directing the new sports biopic, The Boys in the Boat, which debuted in theaters on Christmas.

"It's more fun, you have a lot more control,” Clooney told Sky News. “I get to boss [the actors] around and I don't have to learn how to row. I still like acting. I have fun.”

Clooney hasn’t given up acting though, sharing details about his latest role with a former costar. "I've just done a film with Brad [Pitt],” he said, referring to the upcoming film, Wolfs, which is slated for a 2024 release. “He's an up and coming actor," he joked.

Related: Adapting The Boys in the Boat with 'Charismatic' George Clooney Was 'Quite a Trip,' Says Author (Exclusive)

When it comes to stepping behind the camera, however, Clooney explained, "Directing is a fun thing to do. It's fun to come in in the morning and it's fun to write a screenplay and then have somebody build a set that you wrote, it really is."

Clooney made his feature-film directorial debut with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind in 2002. Since then, he has helmed eight more movies, including Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), Leatherheads (2008), The Ides of March (2011) and The Tender Bar (2021), according to IMDB.

The actor-director, who has also written and produced various projects, added that he values the different roles he’s had the opportunity to explore in his career.

"As you get older, you need to have other things to do. You can't just do one thing,” Clooney said. “I'm lucky because I'm 62 and I get to do the stuff I love, and a lot of people don't get that. I'm well aware of it, and I celebrate it because, you know, if I'm not having fun, I think people would be really p----- off.”

Related: The True Story Behind George Clooney’s The Boys in the Boat: From Amateur Athletes to Olympic Heroes (Exclusive)

The Boys in the Boat, meanwhile, is led by Joel Edgerton and Callum Turner and recounts the true story about the University of Washington's 1936 rowing team journey to the Summer Olympics. The film is adapted from the eponymous book by Daniel James Brown, who also serves as a producer alongside Grant Heslov.

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When it came to the cast of the sports drama, Clooney said that he only wanted actors who, like him, truly enjoy what they do. "I only want to work with people that want to be there and like what they do because these are long hours, it’s hard to do,” he told Sky News.

“We're not complaining. But they are long hours and it's a lot of work. And so, people have to enjoy what they do, because I really don't want to be around people that don't want to come out of their trailer,” he continued, adding, "I'm from Kentucky — we try to stay outdoors.”

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