George Clooney Calls Out ‘Authoritarians’ and ‘People Who Peddle in Fear’ in Moving Venice Golden Lion Speech: They’re ‘Never the Heroes in History’

Developing story first seen 5 hours ago

Variety · 5 hours ago

George Clooney used his Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement speech at the Venice Film Festival to warn against the politics of fear, telling the audience that "the people who are afraid of books and music and stories are never the heroes in history." Speaking at the festival's opening ceremony on Wednesday night, the actor argued that those in power try to silence journalists and artists first, and that storytelling remains a vital way of fostering empathy at a time when "people in charge" encourage division. The remarks, alongside earlier reported detail of the presentation and red-carpet colour, formed part of a wide-ranging tribute to his 45-year career.

Clooney opened with self-deprecating jokes about receiving a "lifetime achievement" honour before turning serious, insisting films "don't stop wars" or "fix elections" but can remind people that a stranger might be "the hero in somebody else's story." He also thanked his wife, Amal, and children, before closing with a joke about his widely panned turn in "Batman & Robin." The award followed a tribute reel drawing on his Netflix film "Jay Kelly" and was presented by his co-star Laura Dern; the ceremony preceded the world premiere of Danny Boyle's "Ink."

Clooney's Venice speech warned that fear-mongering leaders always target artists and journalists first
He accepted the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, presented by Laura Dern
Speech followed his red-carpet appearance and preceded Danny Boyle's "Ink" premiere

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George Clooney received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at this year's Venice Film Festival, one of cinema's most prestigious awards, given for a body of work rather than a single film. Clooney has been acting for around 45 years, known both for roles in films such as the "Ocean's" series and "Michael Clayton" and for his off-screen work as a director and activist. The Golden Lion is presented at the festival's opening ceremony, which also marks the start of ten days of premieres and awards in Venice, Italy.

Venice is one of the world's leading film festivals, and speeches by major stars at its opening night often attract wide attention beyond the film industry, touching on broader social or political themes. Clooney has a long history of speaking out on political and social issues, including press freedom and international affairs, alongside his film career. His wife, Amal Clooney, is a human rights lawyer, and the couple are frequently linked to advocacy work together.

The ceremony also served to promote other festival business, including a tribute reel drawing on Clooney's recent Netflix film "Jay Kelly" and the premiere of Danny Boyle's new film "Ink", underlining how such honours are woven into the festival's wider programme of launches and promotion.

Both sides, in good faith

The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.

The case for

Supporters of Clooney's remarks argue that artists and public figures have a long, honourable tradition of using acceptance speeches to defend free expression, and that his warning about fear and censorship speaks to genuine, well-documented pressures faced by journalists and storytellers under authoritarian conditions worldwide. They see his point about empathy and storytelling as a principled, non-partisan defence of culture's civic value rather than an attack on any specific figure, and view a lifetime-achievement moment as a legitimate occasion to speak from conscience about issues he has long championed.

The case against

Sceptics contend that film awards ceremonies should stay focused on craft and achievement rather than becoming a platform for political commentary, however broadly phrased. They note that terms like 'authoritarians' and 'people who peddle in fear', while framed as universal truths, are widely read as coded criticism of particular political leaders and movements, which can feel partisan and alienating to part of the audience despite the neutral wrapping. Some also argue that a wealthy, globally famous actor moralising about fear and division risks appearing out of touch, and that art persuades best through the work itself rather than through speeches attached to it.

Full account

George Clooney used his acceptance speech for an honorary Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday night to deliver a pointed meditation on art, fear and power, arguing that storytelling remains one of society's most important defences against those who seek to divide people. Speaking at the festival's opening ceremony, the actor and director reflected on his 45-year career, describing it self-deprecatingly as a run of "happy accidents", before turning to weightier themes about why cinema and festivals like Venice still matter.

Clooney told the audience that the world is currently being encouraged by powerful and wealthy figures to distrust one another, but insisted that history offers a clear warning about who benefits from that fear. He argued that authoritarian figures typically move first against journalists, artists and storytellers, precisely because their work encourages empathy for people audiences have never met. Those who fear books, music and stories, he said, are never remembered as history's heroes. While acknowledging that films cannot end wars, curb inflation or decide elections, he suggested their real power lies in reminding people that strangers are never truly strange, and might instead be the hero of someone else's story.

In additional remarks to reporters at the festival, Clooney was considerably more direct about current American politics, accusing the Trump administration of lacking basic decency and invoking the term "kakistocracy" to describe government by the least capable. He pointed to a recent social media post from US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, which appeared to mock the appearance of a Canadian servicewoman, as an example of the cruelty he believes has become normalised in public life. Despite the bluntness of the critique, Clooney struck an optimistic note, drawing a parallel with the turmoil of 1968 and expressing confidence that the country would recover, pointing to November's elections and the next presidential race in 2028 as opportunities for correction.

The evening also had lighter and more personal moments: Clooney thanked his wife, the human rights barrister Amal Clooney, who was in the audience, and joked that their two children were the only people who genuinely rate his performance in Batman & Robin, adding that he has never let them watch it to the end. Venice holds particular significance for the couple, having hosted their wedding in 2014, and Clooney is a frequent presence at the festival, having returned in recent years with films including Wolfs and Jay Kelly. The Golden Lion ceremony preceded the world premiere of Danny Boyle's new film Ink, and Clooney greeted fans and photographers on the red carpet beforehand.

Where outlets differ

One outlet's report centres on the formal acceptance speech itself, emphasising Clooney's reflections on storytelling, empathy and the value of festivals, along with lighter personal anecdotes about his family and career.

The other outlet focuses on separate press remarks in which Clooney directly criticised the Trump administration, using terms such as 'kakistocracy' and 'cruel', and cited the Hegseth social media post — details largely absent from the speech-focused account.

The more political account provides fuller context on the ongoing public feud between Clooney and Trump and references disagreements over Middle East policy, whereas the speech-focused account does not mention this history.

Only the political account includes Clooney's comparison to the unrest of 1968 and his specific predictions about the 2026 midterms and 2028 election.

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