George Clooney Recalls Bombing His ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ Singing Audition in Cast Reunion

George Clooney said he was originally supposed to sing “Man of Constant Sorrow.” After his first studio session, the team decided to have him pretend instead.

“They assumed I could sing because my aunt was Rosemary Clooney, and I assumed I could sing. It literally sounds like a cat caught in the wheel well of a truck driving down the street,” he said. “Then they brought in Dan Tyminski and he sang it for me. It was pretty humiliating.”

Clooney spoke on the song from “in “O Brother, Where Art Thou” during a cast reunion for the Nashville Film Festival to celebrate the 20th anniversary, which is fast approaching. He was joined by fellow cast members John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson, moderated by Variety’s Steven Gaydos.

During the conversation, they also discussed what it was like being asked to join the Ethan and Joel Cohen film and the film’s lasting impact. The musical comedy, which won the album of the year Grammy in 2002, helped increase attention for bluegrass and Americana music.

But its impact was not just cultural, as the actors themselves shared what made the film so important to them. The three actors said that despite initially poor reviews by critics, the successful film continues to grow on them over time.

“A career doesn’t happen because of one move, but often there’s one moment, one project that sort of shift everything. I’m incredibly grateful to these two guys … because of the trio that we got to form, and because I was allowed to be a part of it.”

Watch the full video above. Produced and directed by Heather Cook.