Hollywood veterans George Clooney and Noah Wyle celebrated their enduring friendship and illustrious careers on Thursday night at the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, earning top acting honors for their recent work. The duo, who famously starred together in the groundbreaking medical drama ER 30 years ago, used the special mutually-presented awards to exchange heartfelt tributes, providing a nostalgic highlight for attendees and the industry.
Clooney took home the Best Actor (Film) award for his role in The Boys in the Boat, while Wyle secured the Best Actor (TV) prize for his performance in Pittsburgh. The AARP, which established the awards to recognize films “made for and about mature audiences,” arranged for the former co-stars to present the accolades to one another, sparking a touching reunion.
AARP Honors Enduring Hollywood Partnerships
Presenting Wyle’s award, Clooney mixed his signature humor with deep sincerity. The veteran actor playfully suggested that AARP should launch a “Still Sexiest Man Alive” issue, immediately nominating Wyle for inclusion. Reflecting on their early days filming ER in 1993, Clooney recalled how quickly their professional relationship blossomed into a lifelong bond.
“He hadn’t done much yet,” Clooney said, recalling the show’s meteoric rise. He recounted a specific episode that garnered over 40 million viewers, prompting a then-inexperienced Wyle to ask, “Is that good?”
“I replied, ‘It’s good, but it will never happen again,’” Clooney quipped.
Beyond their shared history in the mega-hit series, Clooney described Wyle as exceptionally wise for his age and “one of the kindest people I’ve ever met.” He praised his friend not just as a superb actor but also as a dedicated father and husband, concluding his remarks with a humorous aspirational note: “When I grow up, I want to be Noah Wyle.”
Wyle, visibly moved, responded that many of the skills he employed while acting, writing, producing, and directing Pittsburgh were rooted in the early lessons he learned from Clooney on the set of ER.
“I distinctly remember the first week of shooting on ER when he gathered the entire cast in his trailer and said, ‘Listen up. We are going to treat everyone kindly. There will be no separation between cast and crew, principals and background,’” Wyle recalled. “’We will know our lines, we will be on time, and we will take the work seriously.’ And that’s how the whole set operated. I spent the next 15 years searching for that feeling—that atmosphere of family and commitment—until I found it again with Pittsburgh.”
Clooney Addresses Industry Criticism with Empathy
Upon receiving his award, Clooney maintained his light-hearted demeanor, thanking AARP for the honor while jesting about the nature of the “mature audience” category. “I realize now that the only reason I won is because Timothée Chalamet is too young to be nominated,” he joked.
In a more serious turn, Clooney used his platform to address recent public criticism levied at actors by some industry figures, including director Quentin Tarantino’s harsh comments regarding performers like Paul Dano. Clooney firmly defended his colleagues.
“I love actors, and I don’t like to see anyone be unkind to actors,” Clooney asserted, name-checking Dano, Owen Wilson, and Matthew Lillard as artists he had the privilege of working with.
He concluded his emotional speech with a plea for compassion and unity within the broader community. “We live in a cruel time, and we don’t need to add another cruel voice,” Clooney stated. “The next few years are going to be tough, but we will get through it together.” The evening underscored not just individual artistic achievement but the power of professional mentorship and lasting friendships in the demanding landscape of Hollywood.
