Tom Cruise thought he was getting a movie deal—until George Clooney’s wild prank was exposed

Clooney recently admitted to writing fan mails to his celebrity pals posing as other actors from Hollywood.
PUBLISHED FEB 22, 2025
(L) Tom Cruise 'Mission: Impossible' premiere at Lincoln Center on July 10, 2023, in NYC; (R) George Clooney at Charity Gala on May 24, 2023, in Dusseldorf, Germany.  (Cover Image Source: Getty Images| (L) Photo by Mike Coppola; (R) Photo by Joshua Sammer
(L) Tom Cruise 'Mission: Impossible' premiere at Lincoln Center on July 10, 2023, in NYC; (R) George Clooney at Charity Gala on May 24, 2023, in Dusseldorf, Germany. (Cover Image Source: Getty Images| (L) Photo by Mike Coppola; (R) Photo by Joshua Sammer

Brad Pitt and George Clooney share a strong professional and personal bond, having collaborated on multiple projects and remaining best friends. Clooney is a notorious prankster who has repeatedly pulled hilarious tricks on Pitt. In September last year, the 'Ocean's Eleven' actor confessed to his secret obsession while appearing on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live. As per the New York Post, he admitted to writing fan mails posing as other actors from Hollywood. Clooney went on to hilariously narrate that he fooled Tom Cruise into believing that Brad Pitt had sent him a letter telling him to make 'Interview with the Vampire 2,' but that this time he wished to essay the role of Lestat. 



 

“Every actor I know I’ve sent a letter from Bill Clinton,” Clooney bragged on the late-night show. “I try to find their worst film and I tell them, ‘So I was on the plane and [watching your movie].'” He then continued to reveal in jest, “The Brad Pitt one was brutal. I sent it to Don Cheadle. I sent it to Tom Cruise, saying they want to do [“Interview with the Vampire 2”], but this time Brad wants to play Lestat. And I sent it to Meryl Streep with a box of CDs for dialect and I said, ‘This guy helped me with my accent in “Troy” and I think it could really help you.'” 



 

Kimmel knew about the prank and added, “Brad this afternoon said that Tom called him and said ‘Yeah, it’s cool, you can play Lestat, that’s fine, I’m okay with that,’ and he was like, ‘What are you talking about?'” The TV host then went on to ask Clooney if his celebrity friends ever realized right away that the letters were from him. “There’s usually some guess involved with me. Usually, somehow they figure it out,” the 'Wolfs' actor joked. Pitt and Cruise, who co-starred in the 1994 horror-fantasy film 'Interview With the Vampire,' had no idea Clooney was pranking them.

George Clooney and Brad Pitt on the set of
George Clooney and Brad Pitt on the set of "Wolves" at the South Street Seaport on February 14, 2023, in NYC. (Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by James Devaney)

According to Brightside, Pitt once pulled an epic prank on his best friend while filming 'Ocean’s Eleven,' plastering posters across an Italian town that read, “George Clooney only wants to be called Daddy Ocean — don’t look him in the eye.” This led to the 'Ocean’s Eleven' actor being dubbed Il Divo, or The Diva, by the media. The funniest part? Locals actually believed the posters. According to People, Clooney once conned Matt Damon by honoring him with the title of the 'Sexiest Man Alive'



 

"So, I took out ads with Matt Damon — remember he wore this green Speedo in The Talented Mr. Ripley — I took that picture of him and very seriously said, 'For Your Consideration: Sexiest Man Alive.'" One of Clooney's most outrageous pranks involved him using Richard Kind’s cat’s litter box as a joke. Kind wasn't very adept at keeping his pet's surroundings pristine so when the Golden Globe winner was staying at his place he took the opportunity to teach his friend a lesson in cleanliness.  

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