Clooney skips Venice press events after falling ill

Hollywood actor George Clooney’s appearance at the Venice Film Festival was disrupted by a sinus infection, forcing him to miss two promotional events for his new film Jay Kelly.

The Ocean’s Eleven star, 64, “started to feel unwell on Wednesday and was advised to head straight home and rest,” a source told The Hollywood Reporter. His condition caused him to skip a dinner party with castmates Adam Sandler and Laura Dern that evening. He was also absent from the official press conference the following day.

“Even movie stars get sick!” director Noah Baumbach said with a laugh during the press event, Variety reported.

Despite his illness, Clooney still made it to the red carpet on Thursday evening for the film’s premiere, accompanied by his wife, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, 47.

Earlier that day, the couple, along with their 8-year-old twins Ella and Alexander and members of the production team, were spotted in Lake Como having lunch at Villa d’Este, according to the New York Post.

The new film Jay Kelly follows the journey of an aging movie star, Jay Kelly (played by Clooney), and his manager Ron (played by Sandler) as they travel across Europe.

In an interview with Vanity Fair on August 4, Clooney shared his excitement about the project.

“I literally said to him, ‘Noah, look, I love the script. I love you as a director, but I’m 63 years old, dude, I can’t do 50 takes,’” he revealed.

“When you’re an actor in my position, at my age, finding roles like this isn’t all that common. If you can’t make peace with aging, then you’ve got to get out of the business and just disappear. I’m now the guy that, when I go running after a bad guy, it’s funny, not suspenseful. That’s okay. I embrace all of that,” he added.

The film opens in select theaters on 14 November and will be released on Netflix on 5 December.