George Clooney revealed that A-list actors like Mark Wahlberg and Johnny Depp were offered to star in 2001’s heist comedyOcean’s 11but turned it down only to regret doing so to this day following the film’s massive success.
Ocean’s 11was one of the biggest blockbuster hits of 2001 due in part to the massive ensemble cast of Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Casey Affleck, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, and Bernie Mac. However, Depp and Wahlberg, among others, were also offered to star in the film but turned it down. Clooney said they regret it about as much as he regretstaking on the role of Batman inBatman and Robin.
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While talking withEntertainment Weekly, Clooney revealed why some actors wanted to work with the film’s director, Steven Soderbergh, around that time due to the success of some of his previous movies. “Steven had just doneErin BrockovichandTraffic, and he was nominated for directing both films,” Clooney said. However, others, like Depp and Wahlberg, turned down roles in the film to the point where they cussed them out. “That said, some people did say no to us,” interjected Soderbergh. “They did,” agreed Clooney. “Some very famous people told us to f— right off. Mark Wahlberg, Johnny Depp. There were others. They regret it now. I regret doing f—ingBatman.”
Instead ofOcean’s 11, Depp starred inBlowandFrom Hellin 2001. On the other hand, Wahlberg starred inThe Planet of the Apesremake andRock Starthat same year. Needless to say, they probably would have benefited from starring inOcean’s 11instead. Clooney has not starred in a movie with Depp, but he has starred inmultiple movies with Wahlberg, most notablyThe Perfect StormandThree Kings. Wahlberg also starred alongside Damon inThe Departedin 2006.
The success ofOcean’s 11led to it becoming a franchise that attracted more A-List stars. The film’s not-so-well-received sequel added Catherine Zeta-Jones to the cast. The following sequel,Ocean’s 13, added Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin. Neither sequel received the strong critical reception the first installment did. However, they did well commercially, which spawned theOcean’s 8reboot in 2018 starring Sandra Bullock andanother reboot starring Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbieshortly after.
Hindsight is 20/20, but it’s not like being in an ensemble cast automatically equates to starring in a good movie. Remember those holiday movies from the early-2010s likeValentine’s DayandNew Year’s Evethat, despite having a plethora of big-name actors in them, were not received well critically in the slightest? While it’s exciting to have the big-name actors all collaborate for one film, utilizing them properly is important. Though it is a shame the film didn’t acquire more of the star power than it already had.
Ocean’s 11is available to purchase on digital platforms.
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