George Clooney reveals he was hospitalised after shedding two stone for new film
George Clooney has said he was hospitalised with severe stomach pains after shedding nearly two stone for his first film role in four years.
The actor had to spend days in hospital and was diagnosed with pancreatitis.
Clooney both directs and stars in Netflix sci-fi movie The Midnight Sky, playing a lone scientist trying to warn a returning spaceship of catastrophe on Earth.
To prepare for the role of a post-apocalyptic survivor, the 59-year-old embarked on a weight loss drive but was diagnosed with pancreatitis - a condition where the pancreas becomes inflamed (swollen) over a short period of time. Clooney suspects his diet may have contributed to the illness.
He told the Mirror: “I think I was trying too hard to lose the weight quickly and probably wasn’t taking care of myself.”
Clooney, in his first film role since 2016, added: “It took a few weeks to get better and as a director it’s not so easy because you need energy.
“We were out on this glacier in Finland, which made it a lot harder work. But it certainly helped with the character. This is bigger than anything I’ve done before and it was like herding cats to get it done. But, you know, it was fun.”
The Midnight Sky is based Lily Brooks-Dalton’s acclaimed 2016 novel Good Morning, Midnight.
Clooney plays astronomer Augustine Lofthouse, stricken with illness and alone in a deserted Arctic observatory station.
The film also stars British actors David Oyelowo and Felicity Jones. The latter shot the film while pregnant.
The Midnight Sky will be in select UK cinemas and on Netflix from December 23.