At the Los Angeles premiere of his new film 'Jay Kelly,’ George Clooney candidly revisited the cinematic misstep that reshaped his career: 1997’s 'Batman & Robin.’ “You don’t learn from succeeding—you learn from failing,” the 64-year-old actor told reporters, calling the critically panned superhero film the failure he learned the most from.
With 11 Razzie nominations and an 11% Rotten Tomatoes score, the movie remains a pop culture punchline—one Clooney has long embraced. “I wasn’t good in it, it wasn’t a good film,” he previously told The Hollywood Reporter, noting it pushed him to pursue more meaningful roles in 'Out of Sight’ (1998), 'Three Kings’ (1999), and 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' (2000).
Clooney’s self-deprecating humor hasn’t waned. In 2021, he joked that wife Amal “won’t let me watch” the film, referring to ‘Batman & Robin,’ adding, “I want my wife to have some respect for me.”
If Clooney’s candid career reckoning has you reflecting on your own path, here are a few iconic celebrity insights offering motivation, wisdom, and a few surprises. Click through for advice from some of the most accomplished stars.