George Clooney is one of the most loved actors in the entertainment industry who has given numerous hits in the past years. The Academy Award-winning star is popular for his handsome looks and versatile acting skills. He is also an ace filmmaker and screenwriter. Clooney started his acting career with television and gained popularity with the role of Dr. Doug Ross on the NBC medical drama ER. He received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the show. Some of the hit movies the actor include Ocean’s Eleven, Up in the Air, From Dusk Till Dawn, The Perfect Storm, and more.
Syriana was one film that won the actor an Academy Award for, however, initially, another Batman actor was considered for his role.
Syriana director wanted to cast Christian Bale prior to George Clooney
Syriana, a geopolitical thriller film directed by Stephen Gaghan, is loosely based on Robert Baer’s 2003 memoir See No Evil. The Oscar winner director had reached out to The Dark Knight star Christian Bale for a prominent role. However, the star had to give up on the role due to a scheduling conflict, as he was shooting for Terrence Malick’s film The New World. Bale played the role of John Rolfe in the film. When Bale rejected the offer, it finally landed with his Ford v Ferrari co-star Matt Damon.
Interestingly, George Clooney also played a prominent role in the film. For perfecting the character of CIA operative Bob Barnes, he underwent a Bale-like weight gain. Clooney won an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award for his superb performance in the film. The actor later shared that he regretted the muscle gain, as it inflamed a spinal injury he’d suffered while performing a stunt.
Details of George Clooney’s film Syriana
Syriana is an American political thriller film that was written and directed by Stephen Gaghan. The film stars some premium talents like George Clooney, Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wright, Chris Cooper, William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson, Amanda Peet, Christopher Plummer, Alexander Siddig, and Mazhar Munir. The film Syriana was shot in 200 locations on five different continents, with its major parts shot in the Middle East, Washington, D.C., and Africa. The film grossed a total of $94 million.
The intense drama focuses on The Middle Eastern oil industry and brings together numerous storylines. Bennett Holiday is an American lawyer, in charge of facilitating a dubious merger of oil companies. Bryan Woodman, a Switzerland-based energy analyst, experiences personal tragedy and opportunity when he visited the Arabian royalty. Clooney plays the role of a veteran CIA agent Bob Barnes, who uncovers an assassination plot with an unsettling base.
Syriana can be rented or bought from Apple TV.
Source-Screen Rant
