George Clooney officially received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement Award at the Venice Film Festival on the opening day, using his platform to address everything from the future of filmmaking to the current political climate. Before accepting his honor, the actor sat for a press conference on Wednesday morning to share his perspective on the industry and the world at large. One of the most notable moments during the discussion involved Clooney defending Mark Ruffalo. Paramount previously accused the Marvel star of using “antisemitic tropes” after Ruffalo criticized the company’s potential merger with Warner Bros and labeled the Ellison family as complicit in the “genocide” against Palestinians. David Ellison serves as the CEO of Paramount Skydance. “I support Mark Ruffalo’s ability to speak freely,” Clooney said, as reported by Variety. “It’s ridiculous. We’re not going to ban speech. I believe in free speech even when I completely disagree with it. That’s important. In fact, it’s part of how democracy works.” Beyond the controversy, Clooney shared his skepticism regarding the pending merger between Paramount and Warner Bros Clooney admitted that the deal is a complicated thing and that he does not see how it financially makes sense for the parties involved. He expressed a broader worry about the trend of major corporate consolidation, noting that such moves often lead to significant job losses. George Clooney says “I support Mark Ruffalo’s ability to speak freely” about the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger. “It’s ridiculous. We’re not going to ban speech. I believe in free speech even when I completely disagree with it. That’s important. In fact, it’s part of how… pic.twitter.com/iqJtmBsPnw— Variety (@Variety) September 2, 2026 The conversation also shifted toward the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. Clooney predicted that the technology is going to be a very big part of this industry, though he worries that it is going to hurt the creative community in a variety of ways. He joked about the potential for misuse, saying, “I would like to avoid being in a tampon commercial 20 years after I’m dead.” When asked about the state of journalism, Clooney pointed to the influence of the world’s wealthiest individuals. He noted that the richest people in the world are currently owning the Washington Post and X, which he views as a concern. Despite his worry, he remains optimistic that there is plenty of room for great journalists and believes that information will eventually find its way out to the public. Clooney also weighed in on the state of the country under President Donald Trump. He offered a sharp take on the current political environment by describing it as a “kakistocracy,” which he defined as a country run by the least qualified people. He expressed hope that the upcoming election in November will serve as a necessary check and balance, leading toward a restoration of some normalcy by 2028. As he prepares for this career milestone at 65 years old, the actor admitted to feeling a bit nostalgic. He noted that everything about getting older feels somewhat melancholy, though he emphasized that he feels very lucky to have his wife and children. While he has directed several films in the past, he is shifting his focus back to acting. He explained that directing takes a year, which pulls him away from his 9-year-old kids for too long, whereas acting is a shorter commitment. He is excited about his future, particularly a new Oceans heist project with Brad Pitt and Matt Damon. As he put it, he is happy to be a character actor now.