George Clooney Admits That It ‘Physically’ Hurts To Watch His ‘Terrible’ Performance In ‘Batman & Robin’

George Clooney’s currently promoting his post-apocalyptic Netflix movie, The Midnight Sky, which has led to many interviews of note, including the Howard Stern visit where the former E.R. heartthrob called out COVID deniers following Tom Cruise’s rant on the same subject. During that same discussion, the topic turned to the collective distaste for 1997’s Batman & Robin, which — to no one’s surprise — Clooney does not enjoy either, yet the Oscar winner goes in even harder on himself than expected.

While speaking with Stern, Clooney admitted that “physically” feels pain while witnessing the movie. He can’t even stand his own performance, which he called “terrible.” And he divulged that he was paid $1 million as opposed to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s $25 payday to portray Mr. Freeze. Clooney and the former Governator didn’t even cross paths on the set, apparently, but the core of this part of the discussion inevitably landed upon Clooney’s disappointment in the movie. And yup, he also spoke on behalf of the late Joel Schumacher. Via Hollywood Reporter:

“The truth of the matter is, I was bad in it. Akiva Goldsman — who’s won the Oscar for writing since then — he wrote the screenplay. And it’s a terrible screenplay, he’ll tell you. I’m terrible in it, I’ll tell you. Joel Schumacher, who just passed away, directed it, and he’d say, ‘Yeah, it didn’t work.’ We all whiffed on that one.”

Clooney continued, saying that he didn’t have any creative input into the project. Presumably, that includes any discussion of those notorious Batnipples that he’s joked about on previous occasions, and I’m sorry to see that it doesn’t appear that Stern mentioned those Batnipples at all. I guess he really has put that “Shock Jock” label behind him, right It happens.