With 67 movie awards on his shelf and 122 nominations, George Clooney is the epitome of a Hollywood star. But the 64-year-old is also an outspoken proponent of social and political issues. Reporter Yiannis Andritsopoulos of Ta Nea briefly spoke exclusively to the acclaimed actor, writer, and producer on 1634 Avenue on Broadway in New York City as adoring fans were waiting outside the Winter Garden Theatre in Manhattan to snap a selfie or grab an autograph.
“I love Greece,” he said with a broad smile when Yiannis told Clooney where he’s from. “And I’m doing what I can,” he adds, “to help return the Parthenon Marbles to where they belong.” The unparalleled masterpieces of classical antiquity have long been on George Clooney’s mind. A decade ago, in fact, they sparked a public clash with Boris Johnson, who was then the mayor of London, later the British prime minister, and now a fallen figure in the political landscape of the UK. “I know they’ll be returned,” he tells me confidently.
Since then, Clooney and his wife, Amal, have kept the Marbles on the radar of their activist and philanthropic initiatives. Speaking exclusively to TA NEA, the celebrated artist expresses his firm belief that the masterpieces created by Phidias in the 5th century BC would eventually return to their birthplace.
For Clooney, the issue has become something of a “family” cause. “Of course, I still support the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures. Both my wife and I are fighting for this cause,” says the 64-year-old Hollywood—and now Broadway—star. “We’re doing everything we can to ensure the Marbles return to Greece,” he adds, promising that “we’ll continue our efforts until it becomes a reality. There’s no doubt about it.”
When asked whether he’s concerned by the fact that, despite years of pressure—including UNESCO’s 2021 decision, the Turkish government’s declaration that Elgin had no legal permit, the return of Parthenon fragments from other countries, and repeated international media coverage—lengthy negotiations between Athens and the British Museum, and even the recent change of government in the UK, the Marbles still remain in London, Clooney doesn’t seem troubled. “The Marbles will return to Greece,” he replies with calm certainty. “I know they will.”
His interest in the Parthenon Marbles and their return to Athens goes back. In February 2014, speaking at the Berlin Film Festival during the promotion of his film The Monuments Men, George Clooney stated that the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece “would be a very fair and very nice thing to do.” Just three days later, from London this time, he reiterated his position, supported by co-stars Bill Murray and Matt Damon.
In 2016, what British newspaper The Telegraph dubbed “the world’s most powerful couple” established the Clooney Foundation for Justice, which provides free legal support to defend freedom of expression and human rights in more than 40 countries. The foundation is currently investigating war crimes in Ukraine and examining how international terrorism is being financed through the illicit trade of antiquities.
In March 2021, TA NEA revealed another intervention by Clooney in support of the repatriation of the Parthenon Marbles. “There are many historically significant objects that should be returned,” he stated in a communication with Janet Suzman, the renowned Shakespearean actress and chair of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles (BCRPM). “However, none is as important as the Parthenon Marbles, which must be returned to their original owner.”
