Video: George Clooney Explains Why GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK Still Resonates
The play chronicles the true story of journalist Edward R. Murrow.
By: Josh Sharpe Mar. 24, 2025
On Sunday's 60 Minutes, George Clooney took the outlet behind-the-scenes of his Broadway debut Good Night, and Good Luck. Clooney co-wrote both the screenplay of the original 2005 film and this play, which tell the story of pioneering journalist Edward R. Murrow, who took on Senator Joseph McCarthy.
"It's nerve-wracking and...it's dumb to do because you're coming out and saying, 'Well, let's try to get an audience to take this ride with you back to 1954,'" Clooney explains in the interview. However, he believes it is a fight for the ages and says the plot, which revolves around themes of truth, intimidation, and courage in corporate media still resonates in 2025.
"We're seeing this idea of using government to scare or fine or use corporations to make journalists smaller. Governments don't like the freedom of the press. They never have," says the actor. "Journalism and telling truth to power has to be waged like war is waged. It doesn't just happen accidentally."
Watch the full segment, which also features interviews with co-writer Grant Heslov, director David Cromer, and performer Ilana Glazer. The highly anticipated play is now in preview performances at the Winter Garden Theatre, with an official Opening Night on Thursday, April 3.
Based on the 2929 Entertainment and Participant film of the same name distributed by Warner Bros. and written by the same authors, the following actors are portraying real-life figures alongside Mr. Clooney as Murrow: Mac Brandt as Colonel Anderson, Will Dagger as Don Hewitt, Christopher Denham as John Aaron, Glenn Fleshler as Fred Friendly, Ilana Glazer as Shirley Wershba, Clark Gregg as Don Hollenbeck, Paul Gross as William F. Paley, Georgia Heers as Ella, Carter Hudson as Joe Wershba, Fran Kranz as Palmer Williams, Jennifer Morris as Millie Green, Michael Nathanson as Eddie Scott, Andrew Polk as Charlie Mack, Aaron Roman Weiner as Don Surine with R. Ward Duffy, Joe Forbrich, Imani Rousselle, Greg Stuhr, JD Taylor, and Sophia Tzougros rounding out the ensemble.
The creative team for Good Night, and Good Luck includes Tony Award winner Scott Pask (scenic design), Heather Gilbert (lighting design), David Bengali (video/projections design), Daniel Kluger (sound design), Brenda Abbandandolo (costume design), Leah J. Loukas (hair & wig design), Gigi Buffington (voice & dialect), Daniel Kluger and Bryan Carter (music supervision), and David Caparelliotis (Casting Director).
In Good Night, and Good Luck, we tune in to the golden age of broadcast journalism and Edward R. Murrow’s legendary, history-altering, on-air showdown with Senator Joseph McCarthy. As McCarthyism casts a shadow over America, Murrow and his news team choose to confront the growing tide of paranoia and propaganda, even if it means turning the federal government and a worried nation against them. The play chronicles a time in American history when truth and journalistic integrity stood up to fearmongering and disinformation—and won.
