George Clooney Reveals Smoking for Broadway Role Despite Family History of Lung Cancer

George Clooney revealed that he has to smoke for a role, the habit that killed eight of his uncles and aunts.

The ‘Ticket To Paradise’ actor revealed that he is sneakingly smoking for a role as he makes his Broadway debut next month in an adaptation of his 2005 film ‘Good Night, and Good Luck.’ The reason is that his character is renowned for smoking three packets a day, and the actor has to get better at inhaling. Clooney said, “I go outside so the kids don’t see and smoke a little bit,” according to The New York Times. The actor admitted that he goes outside because he doesn’t want his twins to witness him smoking around the house, and plans to switch to herbal cigarettes next month at the debut show.

Regarding the disease that runs in his family, Clooney mentioned that smoking had been unpleasant in his family as his family members passed away due to lung cancer. His aunt, Rosemary Clooney, the torch singer and movie star, died at the age of 74 due to complications that occurred due to lung cancer. The ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ actor added, “My dad’s the only one that didn’t smoke, and he’s 91.”

Meanwhile, in his film ‘Good Night, and Good Luck’ (2005), he played Fred Friendly, the producer who never smoked. However, in the Broadway show, he took up the role of Edward R. Murrow, the chain smoker who died at the age of 57 due to lung cancer.

Furthermore, when George directed the film, he was questioned by anti-smoking organizations about the character Murrow's incessant smoking. He replied, “I was like, ‘Well, they all died of lung cancer — you can’t not do what is factually true,’” suggesting that whatever role was being shown is historically accurate, and can’t be changed.