George Clooney will no longer kiss actresses in movies following a "conversation" with his wife

BarcelonaThe years when George Clooney played the role of a movie heartthrob are long gone. The star of Jay KellyThe film, which is hoping for Oscar nominations this year, has explained that it has no interest in participating in romantic films and that it "will not kiss" actresses on screen. In an interview with Daily MailHe says he made this decision after a conversation with his wife, Amal, whom he married in Venice in 2014.

At the beginning of his career, Clooney participated in several films where romantic storylines played a significant role, such as An unforgettable day (1996), alongside Michelle Pfeiffer, or Up in the air (2009), with Vera Farmiga. The last romantic comedy she made was Journey to paradise (2022), with Julia Roberts, with whom he had already played a couple in Ocean's raiseThe actor believes that at his current age—he's 64—he no longer fits those kinds of roles. "I'm trying to follow the path Paul Newman took: 'Well, I'm not going to kiss any more girls,'" Clooney said. The actor explains that his role model is the protagonist of The cat on the tin roof, who at one point in his career decided that he would no longer give on-screen kisses unless his co-star was his wife, the actress Joanne Woodward. In Newman's case, this choice stemmed from a feeling of respect for his partner.

"When I turned 60, I had a conversation with my wife. I told her, 'Look, I can still play basketball with the kids. I play with 25-year-olds, I'm still in shape. But in 25 years, I'll be 85. No matter how many cereal bars I eat, it's a real number.'" This isn't the first time the actor has spoken about his intention to take on roles that are more in tune with his current stage of life. In March, in an interview on the show 60 minutesClooney has already said he's officially retired from romantic comedies. "Look, I'm 63 years old. I'm not trying to compete with 25-year-olds for leading roles. This isn't my job anymore. I won't be making any more romantic movies," he said at the time.

In the past, Clooney had also explained that, early in his career, a director criticized his on-screen kissing style. "I remember very early in my career I had to do a kissing scene with a girl and the director said, 'No, not like that!' And I was like, 'But this is my technique. It's how I do it in real life,'" he explained to New York Times

George Clooney isn't the only actor who has moved away from romantic roles to revive his career. Matthew McConaughey, who had starred in films like Wedding plansHe has explained on more than one occasion that he decided to leave the romantic comedy genre to have access to more serious characters. He received the support of his wife, Camila Alves, in this change. This is how he ended up starring in Dallas Buyers Clubwhich allowed him to win his first, and so far only, Oscar.