George Clooney's Same-Sex Marriage Move: Is He Playing Pro or Con?

8 is set to hit Los Angeles for a one-night extravaganza and George Clooney has signed on to take a part… But which part?

By Ted Casablanca, John Boone Dec 14, 2011 10:31 PMTags
George Clooney Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

As if we didn't already love George Clooney enough.

The swoon-worthy A-lister and repeated SAG nominee has signed on to star in the stage reading of Dustin Lance Black's 8 when it makes its cross-country trip from NYC to L.A. For those not in the know, the show centers on the Perry vs. Schwarzenegger trial that hoped to overturn Prop 8 and allow for same-sex marriage here in Cali.

And while the press release stated Georgey could play the role of one of the legal team, plaintiffs, or witness in the case, we were just dying to know which real-life role Clooney would embody.

And now we know...

Well, almost.

"Mr. Clooney has been offered the role of either attorney, Ted Olson or David Boies, but nothing has been confirmed yet," a rep for the show tells us.

Either way, it's a juicy part. Solicitor General Theodore and attorney David were one-time political rivals who put aside their differences when they teamed up to fight Prop 8 in the federal court.

A cause George is personally on board with:

"It is astonishing that gay and lesbian Americans are still treated as second-class citizens," Clooney said in a statement.  "I am confident that, very soon, the laws of this nation will reflect the basic truth that gay and lesbian people—like all human beings—are born equal in dignity and rights."

Black penned the show based on court transcripts, personal observation, and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families, and Rob Reiner directed it when it hit New York with an all-star cast (like Morgan Freeman, Ellen Barkin and Matt Bomer).

George is just first of the many stars that are sure to sign on to the one-night-only Hollywood run of the show, put on by The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact.

And while we were initially a wee bit bummed that George won't be playing one half of the many gay couples that took that stand, there's absolutely no way we could be anything but positive about this whole project.

Especially when we considered this: Hey, George, isn't it time you rang up your pal Brad Pitt and got him to attach himself as well?!