George Clooney reveals being cut from ‘The Thin Red Line’

During a Masterclass at the Biennale Cinema 2026, actor and filmmaker George Clooney discussed his career transitions and the nature of filmmaking. He revealed that despite spending months filming in Australia for Terrence Malick’s 1998 war drama ‘The Thin Red Line’, his performance was almost entirely removed during the editing process.

Clooney also detailed how he transitioned into directing with the 2002 biographical spy film ‘Confessions of a Dangerous Mind’. He noted that Steven Soderbergh encouraged him to take on the project, offering a deal to step in if the directorial debut failed. Clooney described filmmaking as an art form where the director acts as the painter, wielding significant control over an actor's performance.