Oscar-winning superstar George Clooney’s illness caused him to back out of appearances at the Venice Film Festival, where he was set to promote his new movie, Jay Kelly.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Cooney fell ill while promoting the film. His publicist, Simon Halls, revealed, “George has been diagnosed with a sinus infection and is under doctor's orders to cut back on his activities today.”
Jay Kelly is set to premiere at the festival on August 28. There is a likelihood that the actor will attend remaining promotional events alongside co-stars Adam Sandler and Laura Dern.
The Hollywood Reporter added that Clooney’s absence allows him to not only be a part of the film’s premiere, but its panel as well, which was also slated for Thursday. The site reported that their staffer spotted the actor “boarding a boat to head out of the Hotel Excelsior close to 4 p.m. on his way home to rest." THR also learned that Clooney pulled out of a private dinner with the team from Jay Kelly and top Netflix executives.”
There’s a lot of buzz surrounding the film, which tells the story of an actor struggling with his identity as he travels to Europe with his friend and manager.
Director Noah Baumbach described the film in his official director’s statement, per THR. “Jay Kelly is about a man looking back at his life and reflecting on the choices, the sacrifices, the successes, the mistakes he’s made. When is it too late to change the course of our lives?"
Baumback continued, "Jay Kelly is an actor, and as such, the movie is about identity. How do we perform ourselves? Who are we as parents, children, friends, professionals? Are we good? Are we bad? What is the gap between who we’ve decided we are and who we might actually be? What makes a life? Jay Kelly is about what it means to be yourself.”
The Venice Film Festival runs through Sept. 6, before Jay Kelly releases on Nov. 14 in select theaters. It steams beginning Dec. 5 on Netflix.