George Clooney Recalls Losing “Thelma & Louise” Role to Brad Pitt: ‘I Was Annoyed'

Joe Maher/Getty;Mgm/Pathe/Kobal/Shutterstock

NEED TO KNOW

• George Clooney recalled losing a role in Ridley Scott's Thelma & Louise to Brad Pitt after making it to the final test

• "But, of course, when I saw it, I was like, 'Well, it had to be that guy,' " the Jay Kelly actor said

• Pitt previously shared that he was offered the part after auditioning three separate times

George Clooneyis reflecting on what could have been.

While reminiscing about the early days of his career, the 64-year-old actor recently toldThe Sunday Timesthat he vividly remembers his desire to break out of his usual TV roles to become a serious film actor. But just when he thought he was going to get his big break as J.D. in 1991'sThelma & Louise,Brad Pittentered the picture.

"I got to the final test for a role inThelma & Louise," Clooney recalled of theRidley Scott-directed film. "And, motherf------, Brad got it."

"I didn't watchThelma & Louisefor years because I was annoyed," he continued. "The part launched his career in film. He was doing sitcoms and crap before, so when it was the thing that could've launched me? F---!"

Eric Charbonneau/Apple TV+ via Getty

Now,the two have become longtime friendsand have starred in a number of movies together, includingOcean's Elevenand its sequels. And once Clooney finally brought himself to watchThelma & Louise, he admitted that Pitt, 61, was the obvious choice for the role.

"He gives me s---," theJay Kellyactor said of theF1star. "But, of course, when I saw it, I was like, 'Well, it had to be that guy.' "

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For his part, Pitt previously recalled that the casting agents "went through a couple of other actors" before officially offering him the part.

"I just thought, I'm the guy for this," he said in a January 2023 cover interview forWMagazine's Best Performances issue. "I didn't get the part at first, and then it came back around, and I didn't get it again, and I went, 'Huh. All right. Moving on.' And then it came back around again … I feel like it was three times."

He also went on to share insight into thefamous love scene that sparked his "entry into the big leagues."

"Geena [Davis]was so sweet and kind and delicate," Pitt recalled of his experience filmingone of Hollywood's steamiest sex scenesalongside Davis, who portrayed Thelma Dickinson. "That love scene, I think, went on for two days of shooting. She took care of me."

Meanwhile, Davis, 69, said that sheremembered being impressed by the fresh-faced actorfrom the moment she saw his audition.

"He just has 'it,' " she told PEOPLE in February 2020. "I could tell when he was auditioning that he was super talented. He has done so many incredible things over the years."

She added, "He really is the 'star' of the moment, which is fabulous, and it is just great to see."

Read the original article onPeople

bySator Tenet

in

December 01, 2025

George Clooney Recalls Losing “Thelma & Louise” Role to Brad Pitt: ‘I Was Annoyed'

Joe Maher/Getty;Mgm/Pathe/Kobal/Shutterstock NEED TO KNOW George Clooney recalled losing a role in Ridley Scott's Thelma & Louise...

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65-year-old “Bosch”, “Mad Men” actor becomes a police trainee in real-life “Rookie” story

Amazon Studios

In the case ofBoschactor Jerry O'Donnell, art doesn't just imitate life, it presages it.

The 65-year-old actor, who has also appeared on series likeMad MenandThe Young and the Restless, has taken his numerous law enforcement roles to heart to become a real-life cop.

Now relocated to North Carolina, O'Donnell has officially become a trainee with the Asheville Police Department, pending full-fledged officer status after completing Basic Law Enforcement Training, passing a state test, and months of field training.

"I feel blessed and grateful to still have some ability, so you know, that's like a sense of purpose — to be of service," O'Donnelltold the Asheville Watchdoglast month.

avlwatchdog.org

"When we do PT, we go on these runs in the parking garage — you run up, run down, run the parking garage," O'Donnell shared, reflecting on his training in progress. "And then you do exercises — 15 air squats, run up another level. Do 50 push-ups, run up another level. Do 50 burpees."

Despite enjoying a full, decades-long career in show business, O'Donnell said the career he's currently preparing to segue into at retirement age has given him a deeper sense of fulfillment.

"I always think when you slide into home at the end of your life, you want to be all used up... You know — dirty, scarred up, a little bloody, and spent."

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O'Donnell may be new to the police force, but he isn't new to combat training, according to the Asheville Watchdog. He previously spent four years in the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division, but caught the acting bug after landing the lead role in a college play. O'Donnell then caught the attention of famed acting teacher Uta Hagen, with whom he studied, and then a West Coast talent agent, with whom he signed, and moved to Hollywood to pursue acting.

O'Donnell has appeared in nearly 50 films and series since his 1991 debut on an episode ofThe Flash.

The former actor's big break came in 1998, when he landed a role spanning 18 episodes across three seasons ofThe Young and the Restless. A part on the soap's sister series,The Bold and the Beautiful, followed over a decade later, and in the meantime, O'Donnell crafted a specialty in playing tough yet righteous law enforcement officers.

Some of O'Donnell's notable screen roles include an appearance on a season 4 episode ofDexterin which he delivers a flash drive containing information on a victim of the so-called "Vacation Murderers" to Davis Zayas' Sgt. Angel Batista. He also appeared as an officer of the law on three of the most beloved procedurals of the past two decades:NYPD Blue,JAG, and its spinoff,NCIS. On four episodes ofMad Men, O'Donnell played star Elisabeth Moss' brother-in-law, Gerry Respola.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

bySator Tenet

in

December 01, 2025

65-year-old “Bosch”, “Mad Men” actor becomes a police trainee in real-life “Rookie” story

Amazon Studios In the case ofBoschactor Jerry O'Donnell, art doesn't just imitate life, it presages it. The 65-year-old actor, wh...

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King Charles' Palace in Scotland Is Decked Out for Christmas as Another Royal Residence Has an Unexpected Closure

Robert Perry/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• The Royal Collection Trust shared photos of the Palace of Holyroodhouse being decorated for Christmas

• This year's holiday transformation included two 12-foot Christmas trees in the throne room

• While visitors are welcome to view the decked-out royal residence, the royal family will be spending the holidays elsewhere

The Palace of Holyroodhouse is ready for a royal Christmas!

King Charles' official residence in Scotland revealed its holiday decorations on Nov. 20, sharing photos of the throne room, dining room and more locations looking festive.

According to theRoyal Collection Trust, which cares for artifacts in the Royal Collection and manages the public opening of royal palaces such as Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace, this year's holiday transformation includes two 12-foot Christmas trees and a mantle garland in the throne room, as well as seasonal garlands bringing extra grandeur to the Great Stair leading to the historic State Apartments.

The royal dining room has been readied for a holiday feast, with the grand table covered in fruit and foliage.

Robert Perry/Getty

Visitors are welcome to the Palace of Holyroodhouse to see the holiday splendor until Jan. 5, 2026. However, most members of the royal family likely won't get to witness the festive decor themselves. King Charles, Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family traditionally spend Christmas at their Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England.

The British royals are known to exchange gag gifts on Christmas Eve, then attend church at St. Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate on Christmas Day. After mass, they head back to Sandringham House for a lunch of Norfolk turkey, followed by watching the annual Christmas broadcast delivered by the monarch at 3 p.m. U.K. time.

Robert Perry/Getty

Other royal residences will also bedecorated for the holidays, with many open to the public.

Last year, King Henry VIII's former home of Hampton Court Palace in London featured an outdoorice skating rink, and visitors could take in adisplay of Tudor cookingenjoyed by Henry and his courtiers, "giving visitors the opportunity to explore the flavors and spices of the time," CNN reported.

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Robert Perry/Getty

While the Palace of Holyroodhouse was getting ready for the holidays, Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands had an unexpected closure due to early winter weather. The social media pages for the royal residence, where the royals gather each summer and where Queen Elizabeth died in 2022, announced on Nov. 19 that Balmoral Castle was closing early to the public due to weather, sharingwhimsical imagesof the snow covering the grounds.

The residence remained closed to the public the following day before reopening on Nov. 21.

Read the original article onPeople

bySator Tenet

in

December 01, 2025

King Charles' Palace in Scotland Is Decked Out for Christmas as Another Royal Residence Has an Unexpected Closure

Robert Perry/Getty NEED TO KNOW The Royal Collection Trust shared photos of the Palace of Holyroodhouse being decorated for Christmas Thi...

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Luigi Mangione will appear in court as his attorneys seek to have key evidence tossed from state murder case

Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old accused ofkilling a health insurance company executivein a brazen attack that sparked a national debate, will appear in court Monday as his attorneys seek to have his diary entries and other key evidence tossed from his state murder case.

Mangione wasarrested at a McDonald'sin Pennsylvania following a days-long manhunt after United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, was fatally shot December 4, 2024, on a busy sidewalk in midtown Manhattan.

During the arrest, law enforcement recovered several pieces of evidence from Mangione's backpack that authorities say tie him to the killing. Mangione's lawyers argue police illegally searched his bag without a warrant, so that evidence should be barred from the state's case. Prosecutors denied the defense's claims and agreed to a hearing on the matter.

Mangione's defense is battling prosecutors in two cases: Lawyers in hisfederal death penalty casealso are trying to get much of the same evidence tossed. That case returns to court on January 9.

The hearing over the disputed evidence in the state case is expected to last several days, with both parties planning to call witnesses to testify, according to court documents. Mangione's attorneys have challenged the relevance of a handful of prosecution witnesses, including a 911 operator and a person who can authenticate McDonald's video evidence.

Defense attorney Karen Friedman-Agnifilo has asked Judge Gregory Carro to prevent the prosecution from showing the contents of the writings at the hearing, saying they could taint the jury pool. She objected to the prosecution's use of the term "manifesto," calling it a "prejudicial, invented law-enforcement label."

She also asked the judge to allow at least one of Mangione's hands to be unshackled during the hearing so he can take notes.

In September, Carrodismissed the top two chargesagainst Mangione – murder in the first degree in furtherance of an act of terrorism and murder in the second degree as a crime of terrorism – after he found the evidence had not established Mangione committed a terroristic act. Mangione still faces nine charges in the state case, and theseparate federal death penalty prosecution. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Key pieces of evidence seized

During Mangione's arrest last December,authorities seized several itemsfrom his backpack, including a handgun, a loaded magazine, and a notebook with handwritten entries – key pieces of evidence that prosecutors allege connect Mangione to the killing.

The recovered gun lines up with ballistic evidence from the Manhattan crime scene, prosecutors said in court documents. Authorities have called the writings in the notebook a "manifesto," pointing to sections that detailhis frustration with the healthcare industryand his intent to carry out an attack. Prosecutors said the entries "establish his responsibility for this vicious crime."

In a court filing, Friedman-Agnifilo argued the writings and all the items recovered from the backpack should not be admissible since police illegally searched the bag without a warrant, and there was no immediate threat to justify a warrantless search.

"Police conducted this warrantless search even though there were no exigent circumstances as Mr. Mangione was already in handcuffs, the backpack was on a table over six feet away and Mr. Mangione was separated from this table by a wall of armed officers," she wrote.

Police did not seek a search warrant for the bag until later that evening, about seven hours after they first opened the backpack, the defense attorney wrote in her filing.

Prosecutors can overcome the challenge if they can prove the evidence would have inevitably been discovered legally during the course of the investigation.

Even if the judge rules in favor of Mangione, prosecutors still have evidence ofhis DNA or fingerprintson several items discarded by the shooter near the crime scene, according to court documents.

Friedman-Agnifilo also moved to suppress any statements Mangione made to law enforcement before hisDecember 19 extradition to New York, claiming officers did not properly advise Mangione of his Miranda rights before they began questioning him in the McDonald's.

At the fast-food restaurant, Mangione allegedlygave police a fake IDbearing the name "Mark Rosario," but later told them that was not his real name. The same driver's license was used to book a room at the New York City hostel that was tied to the suspect, prosecutors said in court documents.

Mangione was read his Miranda warnings about 20 minutes after he was first approached by the officers, according to his attorney. After that, he exercised his right to remain silent.

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bySator Tenet

in

December 01, 2025

Luigi Mangione will appear in court as his attorneys seek to have key evidence tossed from state murder case

Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old accused ofkilling a health insurance company executivein a brazen attack that sparked a national debate, wi...

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ByteDance rolls out AI voice assistant for Chinese smartphones

By Liam Mo and Brenda Goh

BEIJING, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Chinese tech giant ByteDance said on Monday it ​is launching anartificial intelligencevoice control tool that will debut on ‌asmartphonemade by ZTE Corp, before becoming available on phones from other manufacturers in ‌due course.

The AI assistant, powered by ByteDance's popular Doubao large language model, allows users to voice activate tasks such as finding content and booking tickets.

The tool will compete with similar AI features introduced by Chinese smartphone makers such as ⁠Huawei and Xiaomi. ‌Applehas yet to make its Apple Intelligence available in China, though Alibaba has said it would partner with Apple ‍to develop AI features for iPhones in the country.

ByteDance's AI voice tool will first appear on ZTE's Nubia M153 handset, currently a prototype priced at 3,499 ​yuan ($495). The device is available for pre-order in ‌limited quantities.

Shares in ZTE surged 10% on Monday, their highest level since October 29, helped by reports of the phone as well as news that it had won a string of contracts to supply 5G equipment in Vietnam.

ByteDance said in a statement it has no plans to develop its own ⁠smartphones and is in talks with multiple ​phone makers to roll out the AI voice ​assistant.

ByteDance, which owns TikTok and the short video app's Chinese version Douyin, has emerged as the leading player in ‍consumer AI apps ⁠in China due to its chatbot Doubao.

Doubao had 159 million monthly active users in October, far more than Tencent's Yuanbao at 73 ⁠million and DeepSeek at 72 million, according to AI product tracking platform Aicpb.com.

(‌$1 = 7.0735 yuan)

(Reporting by Liam Mo and ‌Brenda Goh; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

bySator Tenet

in

December 01, 2025

ByteDance rolls out AI voice assistant for Chinese smartphones

By Liam Mo and Brenda Goh BEIJING, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Chinese tech giant ByteDance said on Monday it ​is launchin...

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Flooding recovery efforts underway in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand as death tolls rise

PADANG SIDEMPUAN, Indonesia (AP) — Recovery and aid efforts are underway in parts of Southeast Asia and South Asia where the full number of dead and missing are not yet known after heavy rains and flooding left a devastating toll in the past week.

The severe weather killed at least 469 people in Indonesia, 170 in Thailand and 334 in Sri Lanka, authorities said.

In Thailand, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Saturdayoutlined recovery and compensation plansfor the southern part of the country, where the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said severe flooding in 12 southern provinces affected more than 1.4 million households and 3.8 million people.

Sri Lanka authorities said Monday that rescuers are still searching for 370 missing people. Nearly 148,000 people are housed in temporary shelters after beingbattered in the past weekdownpours that flooded homes, fields and roads and triggered landslides, primarily in the tea-growing central hill country.

Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto on Monday pledged to rebuild infrastructure while visiting areas impacted byfloods and landslideson Sumatra island that left thousands homeless and 474 people missing as of Monday.

Some areas of Indonesia remained unreachable Monday after the disaster damaged roads and downed communications lines, with residents in impacted areas relying on aircraft delivering supplies. Flooding displaced 290,700 people in North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh provinces, the National Disaster Management Agency said.

Prabowo, who visited North Sumatra on Monday and was expected to West Sumatra and Aceh during the day, said the government's response is reaching those in need.

"We need to confront climate change effectively," Prabowo said. "Local governments must take a significant role in safeguarding the environment and preparing for the extreme weather conditions that will arise from future climate change."

bySator Tenet

in

November 30, 2025

Flooding recovery efforts underway in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand as death tolls rise

PADANG SIDEMPUAN, Indonesia (AP) — Recovery and aid efforts are underway in parts of Southeast Asia and South Asia where ...

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Sydney men charged with spreading child sexual abuse videos tied to international ring

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — FourSydneymen have been charged with criminal offenses over their alleged involvement in the distribution of child sexual abuse material linked to an international child sex abuse ring, police said Monday.

A New South Wales state police task force identified the Sydney-based network while investigating the online distribution of encrypted child sexual abuse material involving ritualistic and satanic themes, Det. Supt. Jayne Doherty said.

"There's no run-of-the mill child abuse, it's all abhorrent child abuse," Doherty told reporters.

"But these ones were particularly devastating in that they use symbols and rituals around … their discussions that they were having about abusing children. It had a very ritualistic overview," she added.

Police executed multiple warrants around Sydney last Thursday and four men were arrested.

Police also seized electronic devices allegedly containing thousands of videos depicting the abuse of children from babies to 12-year-olds.

"Police will allege in court that this international group were engaging in conversations and the sharing of material which depicted child abuse and the torture of children involving symbols and rituals linked to Satanism and the occult," Doherty said.

Doherty said police did not believe that the defendants recorded any of the abuse material that they shared.

Police were working with their international partners to identify the victims, where they had been abused and their abusers, Doherty said.

No victim had been identified by Monday, she said.

Police said one of those arrested, Landon Germanotta-Mills, 26, played a leading role in the ring.

Also arrested were Stuart Woods Riches, 39, Mark Andrew Sendecky, 42, and Benjamin Raymond Drysdale, 46.

All four were charged with various offenses relating to spreading child abuse material online. Germanotta-Mills was also charged with disseminating and possessing bestiality material, also a criminal offense.

Legal Aid NSW, which is representing Germanotta-Mills, declined to comment to the AP on Monday. Julian Balloot, the lawyer representing the other three defendants, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

All four were refused bail and will appear in court next in late January.

bySator Tenet

in

November 30, 2025

Sydney men charged with spreading child sexual abuse videos tied to international ring

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — FourSydneymen have been charged with criminal offenses over their alleged involvement in the ...

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