Hollywood icon George Clooney is stepping into a new spotlight—Broadway. But while preparing for his debut in Good Night, and Good Luck, Clooney revealed that one unexpected challenge has been especially difficult: smoking on stage.
In a recent interview with 60 Minutes, Clooney opened up about the personal toll that smoking in his role as famed journalist Edward R. Murrow has taken on him. “The hardest part for me is smoking,” Clooney admitted during the interview.
The stage adaptation, set to open officially on April 3 at the Winter Garden Theatre, demands heavy smoking throughout the performance to reflect the era’s ambiance. Clooney noted, “He smokes a lot. And we smoke a lot in the play. Everybody smokes in the play, so the place is covered in smoke. And smoking in our family’s a big, you know, problem.”
Clooney’s discomfort stems from deeply personal reasons. “We grew up in Kentucky. A lotta tobacco farmers,” he explained. “And almost all of my family members died of lung cancer. My father’s sister, Rosemary, died of it. She was a wonderful singer — died of it. And my dad’s 91 because he didn’t smoke. So smoking has always been—it’s a hard thing to do.”
To stay true to the character without endangering his health, Clooney has turned to a safer alternative. “I had to get better at inhaling,” he said, referring to the use of herbal cigarettes for the role. “I go outside so the kids don’t see any smoke a little bit.”
Clooney originally directed the 2005 Oscar-nominated film version of Good Night and Good Luck, but this marks his first time performing in a live stage production of the story. The play revisits the tension-filled McCarthy era and pays homage to Murrow’s steadfast journalism.
Fans and critics alike are eager to see Clooney’s transition from screen to stage. Despite the health-related hurdle, the actor remains committed to delivering an authentic performance in what is shaping up to be one of Broadway’s most anticipated shows of the season.
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