George Clooney Puts His Jay Kelly Co-Star On The Spot During Press Tour — The Look On His Face Says It All

Adam Sandler in a suit is not a glitch in the matrix. It is, apparently, what happens when George Clooney gives you the disappointed dad face. And yes, this is now a plot point in the Jay Kelly press tour.

The Sandler suit era, explained

At the AFI Fest premiere on October 23, 2025, Sandler said he ditched the oversized tees and gym shorts for tailored suits because Clooney looked genuinely bummed every time he showed up dressed like, well, Adam Sandler. He told Entertainment Tonight he switched it up out of respect for his co-star and friend. Honestly, the man looked sharp. And his wardrobe shift has been a whole conversation throughout this promo run.

"I’m doing this for his sake, cause I like Clooney... when I show up looking like the way I like to be, he looks so hurt by it that I said, 'Alright, let me throw a suit on.'"

Clooney and Sandler: 30 years of hooping and hyping each other up

The two first met in the 1990s at a New York Knicks game with Lorne Michaels. They kept in touch for three decades, often playing basketball, and leveled up the friendship while making Jay Kelly. Clooney plays the title character; Sandler is his longtime manager, Ron Sukenick.

Here’s a very specific, very telling on-set detail: Clooney asked the crew not to call Sandler by his nickname, Sandman, to keep the tone serious and push Sandler’s dramatic performance front and center. Clooney’s logic was simple: you get treated the way you present yourself, and this was not a time for deflecting with jokes. He publicly championed Sandler’s acting throughout the shoot.

Off camera, they worked out, ran, and swapped childhood stories. Clooney has basically called their collaboration a love story between friends. At the New York premiere on September 29, 2025, he told People he loves the guy and was thrilled to work together again. Sandler, for his part, has said the feeling’s mutual and that the movie itself is his way of showing love and trying to make Clooney’s life better on and off set. Bromance locked in.

So what is Jay Kelly about?

Clooney plays a once-massive movie star whose career is wobbling. After a scuffle leaves him with a black eye, he turns down a role that might have saved his trajectory. Instead, he jets to France to visit his daughter and drags his manager Ron along under the pretense of work.

The trip forces Jay to actually look in the mirror about who he’s been as a friend and a father. Meanwhile, Ron’s juggling his own family issues, which Jay mostly ignores. By the end, Ron realizes their working dynamic has gone lopsided and walks away after one last tribute ceremony. It’s a story about how people choose to live, and what fame does to relationships.

Need-to-knows

• Director: Noah Baumbach
• Writers: Noah Baumbach and Emily Mortimer
• Cast: George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Riley Keough, Billy Crudup, Greta Gerwig, Patrick Wilson
• Producers: Amy Pascal and David Heyman
• Festival premiere: 82nd Venice International Film Festival on August 28, 2025; nominated for the Golden Lion and praised by critics (per Variety)
• Theatrical release: November 14, 2025 (select theaters)
• Netflix release: December 5, 2025
• Awards buzz: Both leads are earning strong notices, with real Oscar momentum for Sandler. If he lands a nomination, it would be his first after the infamous Uncut Gems snub. Netflix is also pushing for Golden Globes consideration: Clooney for Best Actor, Sandler for Supporting Actor (per Variety).

The bottom line

The behind-the-scenes energy here is surprisingly sweet: Clooney guarding Sandler’s dramatic lane, Sandler suiting up out of respect, and both of them doing some of their best work. If you’re into actor chemistry that actually shows up on screen, this one’s worth the trip.

Jay Kelly hits select theaters November 14 and lands on Netflix December 5.