Actor George Clooney received the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday evening, September 2, as his longtime friend and co-star Brad Pitt marked the occasion with a lighthearted message calling him a really bad dancer.
Actress Laura Dern, 59, presented her 65-year-old colleague with his award at the festival's opening ceremony before reading the note submitted by Pitt, who starred alongside Clooney in the Ocean's film trilogy.
Brad Pitt's message
Reading Pitt's message to the crowd, Dern said that while Clooney could perform, achieve, and compete in almost anything better than anyone else, attendees should keep him away from the dance floor because he does not know how to dance.
Pitt wrote that Clooney was a kid from Kentucky who walks pigeon-toed and noted that whenever Pitt is unavailable, Clooney is sure to show up because he has never met an award he did not run to accept.
Asking why people love Clooney, Pitt described his friend as a rebel, a prankster, an altruist, an actor, an athlete, a father, a husband, a citizen of the world, and a defender of justice, calling him the only person anyone would want by their side in a crisis before concluding that he is ultimately a really bad dancer.
Laura Dern's speech
The presentation in Venice came one year after the premiere of Clooney's film Jay Kelly at the same festival. In that movie, which also features Dern, Clooney plays an actor traveling through Europe ahead of a career tribute and award ceremony.
During her tribute, Dern praised Clooney's career as an actor, director, and producer, pointing out that he is one of only three people in film history to receive Academy Award nominations in six distinct categories.
Dern said Clooney is a person of deep humanity and integrity who lives for giving and truth while telling stories that entertain, move audiences, inspire human kindness, defend freedoms, and demand accountability.
She added that in addition to his work as an actor, writer, director, producer, and activist, Clooney is the best friend and funniest person anyone could meet, noting that he was twice named Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine.
Career achievements and collaborations
Clooney and Pitt previously appeared together in Venice in 2024 to present their film Wolfs, which marked their first cinematic project together since the 2008 comedy Burn After Reading.
The Venice Film Festival, held annually on the Lido in Venice, Italy, is the world's oldest film festival. Its Golden Lion for lifetime achievement recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to international cinema.
