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George Clooney Unveils Portrait at Sardi’s Amidst Humor and Reflection

On April 24, George Clooney attended the unveiling of his portrait at Sardi’s in New York City, where he lightheartedly commented on his recent change in hair color, linked to his Broadway debut in the play Good Night, and Good Luck.

Sardi’s has been a staple for actors and theater enthusiasts for over a century, celebrating notable performances through its collection of portraits. During the event, Clooney, now 63, shared his amusement at the contrast between the hair color depicted in the portrait—which represents a vibrant silver hue—and his current darker shade, saying, “I like the hair color. It’s much better than my hair color right now. That’s better. It’s grey, mostly grey. There we are, thank you so much.”

As he signed the portrait, Clooney playfully pretended to sign it as “Brad Pitt.” Their longstanding friendship has led to numerous collaborations, including in Steven Soderbergh’s acclaimed Ocean’s trilogy and other films.

In the latest project featuring both actors, titled Wolfs, they navigate a competitive atmosphere, portraying two fixers vying for the same assignment. The film, directed by Jon Watts, made its debut at the Venice Film Festival in September before becoming available for streaming. At its premiere, Clooney humorously remarked to PEOPLE about the experience of working with Pitt, joking, “There’s nothing good about it. It’s all a disaster,” but then tempered his jest with a sincere note, saying, “It’s fun to work with people you know really well.”

Clooney’s transformation in hair color was a deliberate choice for his role as the renowned journalist Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck, which he co-wrote with Grant Heslov. The narrative focuses on Murrow’s pivotal journalism during the contentious era of Senator Joseph McCarthy. This production is based on Clooney’s celebrated film of the same name released in 2005.

In the original film, Clooney portrayed producer Fred W. Friendly, with David Strathairn taking on the role of Murrow, earning an Oscar nomination for his performance in 2006.

Clooney expressed the importance of journalism by stating, “It seemed like a good time to remind ourselves how important journalism is to all of us and what a terrible state the country would be in without the Fourth Estate,” during an interview with Vulture. He emphasized the importance of bravery in journalism, noting, “Also, I think it’s a nice time to remind ourselves of us at our best—when we stood up to power and people did something very brave and unselfish.”

Tickets for Good Night, and Good Luck are now on sale. The play will run through June 8.

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people.com