George Clooney Shows Off New Look At ‘Good Night, And Good Luck’ Opening Night
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on April 4, 2025 at 3:00 PM EDT
George Clooney has officially ditched his iconic silver fox look, all in the name of Broadway.
The two-time Oscar winner turned heads on Thursday night when he hit the red carpet for the opening of "Good Night, and Good Luck" at New York City’s Winter Garden Theatre, where he stars as broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow.
George Clooney looked sharp in a classic tux, but it was his freshly dyed dark brown hair that stole the spotlight.
George Clooney Trades Salt-And-Pepper Style For Stage Swagger In Striking New Role
The striking transformation marks a departure from Clooney’s signature salt-and-pepper style, a trademark he’s worn for decades. But it turns out the makeover is strictly for the stage.
The theatrical production is a Broadway adaptation of Clooney’s 2005 political drama of the same name, which he also starred in, co-wrote, and directed. To fully embody Murrow, who famously smoked three packs a day and died of lung cancer at 57, Clooney didn’t just change his hair. He also started smoking again.
“I had to get better at inhaling,” he told The New York Times. “I go outside so the kids don’t see and smoke a little bit.”
Clooney’s Broadway Glow-Up Stuns On Opening Night
He shares 7-year-old twins, Ella and Alexander, with his wife, international human rights attorney Amal Clooney. The couple, who wed in 2014, were last seen together publicly during a lunch date at celeb-favorite Raoul’s in New York City, where George’s dark hair first caused a stir.
While Amal looked chic in a cropped plaid jacket and dramatic earrings, it was George’s hair that had fans doing a double take. But according to him, not everyone at home is thrilled with the change.
“My wife is going to hate it because nothing makes you look older than when an older guy dyes his hair,” he admitted. “My kids are going to just laugh at me nonstop.”
Amal was notably absent from opening night, reportedly staying home with the children, but a slew of A-listers came out to support the actor’s Broadway turn. Jennifer Lopez, Uma Thurman, and Pierce Brosnan were among the stars who walked the red carpet in celebration of Clooney’s latest creative endeavor.
George Clooney Admits Broadway Debut At 63 Has Him 'Petrified'
The "Good Night, and Good Luck" star and director opened up about the nerves that come with making his Broadway debut, and why he wouldn’t have it any other way.
"Well, it's scary. But, you know, I haven't done a play in 40 years, so it's one of those things where, and I've never done the Broadway play, so I'm, of course, you know, petrified to do it," Clooney told reporters. "But it's not such a bad thing being 63 and doing something that you don't feel both your feet are firmly on the ground."
The stage adaptation of Clooney’s 2005 film of the same name brings the actor full circle, both creatively and personally.
Clooney Channels His Newsman Roots In Powerful Broadway Debut
Set in the 1950s, "Good Night, and Good Luck" follows legendary CBS journalist Edward R. Murrow and his team as they courageously challenge Senator Joseph McCarthy’s anti-communist crusade during the Red Scare. It’s a story of integrity, truth, and resistance, themes that resonate deeply with Clooney, whose own father spent 40 years as a news anchor.
“Journalism is always challenged. Power doesn't like journalism. Never has, and didn't like it when it was Jefferson and Adams, and they don't like it now,” Clooney said. “We really believe in the idea of holding truth to power.”
While stepping into Murrow’s shoes, and his famously heavy smoking habit, Clooney hopes the play offers more than a trip down history’s memory lane. At its core, he says, it’s a story about the American spirit.
"It's actually a story about us at our best as Americans, which is holding ourselves accountable, which I think is good," he shared.
George Clooney Surrounded By Star Power In Broadway’s 'Good Night, And Good Luck'
In "Good Night, and Good Luck," George is joined by a talented ensemble cast, including Mac Brandt as Colonel Anderson, Will Dagger as Don Hewitt, Christopher Denham as John Aaron, Glenn Fleshler as Friendly, Ilana Glazer as Shirley Wershba, Clark Gregg as Don Hollenbeck, and Paul Gross as William F. Paley.
Also starring is Georgia Heers as Ella, Carter Hudson as Joe Wershba, Fran Kranz as Palmer Williams, Jennifer Morris as Millie Green, Michael Nathanson as Eddie Scott, Andrew Polk as Charlie Mack, and Aaron Roman Weiner as Don Surine.
