Do you hate Donald Trump and cell phones going off during a play in equal measure? Well, do I have a treat for you: In the first-ever Broadway edition of Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series, George Clooney was paired with Patti LuPone. During their conversation, they discussed whom Clooney wants to run for president (Maryland governor Wes Moore), what LuPone has been loving on Broadway recently (Smash), and their respective experiences there this season (overall positive). At least, that’s what I think happened? I was a little distracted by Clooney’s hair.
As you might have noticed, Clooney recently dyed his hair jet black for his role as Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck, his first time in a stage production since his theatrical debut in 1986. It’s one thing to catch a glimpse of the actor’s new look in a paparazzi shot; it’s quite another to watch him in a tightly framed high-quality video for 51 minutes. Paired with his black hair, his Lake Como tan makes him look like a lounge singer who refuses to believe his best days are behind him. The question is: Why is he doing this?
Well, he had to dye it for the show, right? Nope. It’s actually fairly standard practice for Broadway performers to wear wigs. A wig helps ensure a performer’s hair looks exactly the same every night. It also means the actor’s hair can stay healthy since they don’t need to apply heat every day or maintain a rigorous dye schedule. Is it possible there was no wig person on Good Night, and Good Luck? Wrong again! Clooney’s co-star Ilana Glazer recently shared a whole video about the process of getting her wig on every night.
Okay, so maybe he likes it? Incorrect. Clooney has gone on record multiple times saying he knows it looks ridiculous. In an interview with the New York Times ahead of the play’s opening, Clooney said, “My wife is going to hate it because nothing makes you look older than when an older guy dyes his hair.” He also added that his kids were “going to just laugh at me nonstop.” More recently, he trotted out the same (correct) answer to Gayle King on CBS Mornings, saying, “Honestly, nothing makes you look older than being 63 and dyeing your hair.” He added that he knows it’s “not good” and that his wife, Amal, “thinks it’s funny.”
So what gives? Well, it’s completely unclear. Perhaps Clooney didn’t want to spend five to ten minutes every night getting a lace-front popped on his head. Or maybe he’s enjoying really disappearing into the role of Murrow. I’ve reached out to representatives for the show and hope to update this with an answer.
