George Clooney says Johnny Depp ‘regrets’ turning down Ocean’s Eleven

Star played lead Danny Ocean in the hit 2001 heist movie

George Clooney has discussed some of the Hollywood stars that turned down the chance to star in the hit 2001 heist movie, Ocean’s Eleven.

Speaking at the 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival, Clooney and director Steven Soderbergh talked about how certain actors were in talks to play Linus, the pickpocket role that ultimately went to Matt Damon.

Clooney said: “Steven had just done Erin Brockovich and Traffic, and he was nominated for directing both films. So, people really wanted to work with Steven.”

Despite this, Clooney added that a few stars turned down parts in the movie, which went on to earn $450,728,529 at the worldwide box office (approximately £362m).

“They did,” he said. “Some very famous people told us to f*** right off. Mark Wahlberg, Johnny Depp [were both in talks for Linus]. There were others. They regret it now. I regret doing f***ing Batman.”

Clooney – who led the cast of Ocean’s Eleven as Danny Ocean, the ex-con who establishes the heist – often cracks jokes about his 1997 film Batman & Robin, which many consider to be the worst superhero movie of all time.

In one interview, he admitted that he won’t let his wife Amal watch the film as he still wants her to “respect” him.

Last year, Clooney opened up about how his 17-year age gap with with Amal affects their relationship.

He said that, because he is older, he doesn’t focus on trivial things that he might have in his younger days. “Amal wants to paint the wall yellow,” he said.

“And if I was younger, I feel like that’s a stupid colour. And now you just go, ‘I don’t care. Who cares if a wall’s yellow?’”

Brad Pitt and George Clooney in ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ (Warner Bros Pictures)

Clooney can next be seen in the movie Wolfs, alongside Brad Pitt and Amy Ryan. The film follows two lone wolf fixers who are assigned to the same job.

He last appeared in romcom Ticket to Paradise with Julia Roberts. Read The Independent’s three-star review here.