CBS exec: George Clooney “not a leading man” or why you should never listen to “experts”

“The difference between a stumbling block and a stepping stone is how high you raise your foot.” ― Benny Lewis

Heard a funny story over the weekend. As you know, if you’ve seen my travel blog, I have a thing about George Clooney. I like his politics, his sense of fun and you gotta admit, he’s not too bad to look at.

I was listening to a couple TV writers who came to Lawrence for a big arts festival over the weekend. One of them, a writer for Bodies of Evidence, an old homicide drama from the early 90’s, told us that Clooney was considered for the leading role of Lieutenant Ben Carroll, but a CBS exec was pretty clear: “He’s just not leading man material.”

Instead, the part went to Lee Horsley and George, in one of his pre-ER roles, played the sidekick, Ryan Walker.

So next time, your brilliant idea gets rejected or your dream hits a snag, just remember, “Experts and authorities don’t know everything.”

Another great George story came to me before my talk at the Awakened Expo in Atlanta in May. I’m new at speaking (as I’ve said several times, I call this “My Year of Speaking Dangerously”), and I mentioned my jitters to someone who told me this great story.

When George Clooney first went to Hollywood from Kentucky where he grew up, he stumbled into auditions, like every other newbie, scared and wondering if casting directors would even like him.

Everything changed, he said, when he made this one little tweak. He strode into auditions with the attitude that he was “the answer to that casting director’s dream.”

Tell me in the comment sections below what dream you’re the answer to.

Pam Grout is the author of 17 books including E-Squared: 9 Do-it-Yourself Energy Experiments that Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality and the soon-to-be-released sequel, E-Cubed, 9 More Experiments that Prove Mirth, Magic and Merriment is your Full-time Gig.