George Clooney Gets Candid About Past Drug Use and Alcohol Binge
George Clooney has been remarkably candid about his past encounters with illicit substances.
The acclaimed 64-year-old actor disclosed that he experimented with “cocaine and other substances” back in 1982, as reported in his Esquire cover feature released on Monday, October 6.
“I would often quip about having indulged in too many drugs, but honestly, it was never a significant problem for me,” Clooney confessed. “Moreover, recall that particular episode of Taxi where the characters are depicted using cocaine.”
He continued, “Back then, the prevailing thought was, ‘This isn't like heroin; it's not habit-forming.’ However, that perception later shifted to, ‘Oh, it's actually quite detrimental.’” Additionally, he mentioned, it was frequently mixed with mannitol, a baby laxative. “Everyone would do a line, then immediately need to relieve themselves.”
Regarding marijuana, however, Clooney's experience was limited to a single occasion.
'ER' Heartthrob! Academy Award Laureate! A Look Back at George Clooney's Career: GalleryClooney recounted preparing cannabis-infused brownies with companions “roughly 15 years prior,” the feature stated, adding that they watched The Wizard of Oz while listening to Dark Side of the Moon.
“We were completely out of it. I literally — I believe all of us — there were about 20 of us in the screening room, and after the film concluded, we remained silent for what felt like hours. Hours!” he recollected. “The sun was beginning to rise, and we just — it’s simply not the substance for me.”
The performer has a preference for alcohol, a fact perhaps evident to those aware that he and Rande Gerber collaborated to launch Casamigos tequila in 2013.
“There have been times when, I wouldn’t characterize it as an issue — I never started my day with a drink or anything similar,” Clooney elucidated. “However, I would experience stretches where I’d become quite inebriated nightly.”
He even recounted a rather spirited evening at the 2025 Tony Awards this past June. The prestigious ceremony occurred immediately following Clooney’s final portrayal of the esteemed late Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck. Throughout the six months he embodied the character, Clooney had abstained from alcoholic beverages.
“I got completely intoxicated,” he stated regarding the Tony Awards afterparty. “So drunk I could barely walk, you understand? I returned home with Amal, simply laughing. As we lay in bed, I remarked, ‘Well, I certainly made up for all my sobriety in a single evening.’ I felt ill the entire following day; it was amusing. I was like a teenager who had too much to drink. You know, utterly foolishly drunk.”
Clooney was present at the event accompanied by his wife, Amal Clooney. He received a nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for his role but ultimately conceded the award to Cole Escola, who triumphed for their depiction of Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh, Mary!
George Clooney Responds to Those Who Doubt His Acting VersatilityClooney confessed he felt “extremely apprehensive” about undertaking the part, an emotion he hadn't encountered in “a considerable period.” (The theatrical adaptation of Good Night, and Good Luck was derived from Clooney’s 2005 motion picture of the identical title.)
“A portion of it was purely due to age. As one ages — I am 64 — regardless of how many healthy snacks you consume, your cognitive faculties begin to falter,” he acknowledged. “I had numerous extensive monologues, and I feared forgetting my lines. Consequently, each night for a hundred performances, I would rehearse the entire play in my dressing room before stepping onto the stage. I was incredibly apprehensive.”
Clooney’s portrayal was recorded for CNN and aired live on June 7, marking the inaugural televising of a Broadway production. It is currently accessible for streaming on Prime Video.
