Geena Davis recalls George Clooney’s reaction at missing out on Thelma & Louise

Geena Davis has recalled George Clooney’s frustration that Brad Pitt was cast opposite her in Thelma & Louise rather than him.

The Hollywood actress, 66, starred alongside Susan Sarandon in the 1991 film about two friends who go on the run from the law after a fishing trip ends in death.

Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain to discuss her memoir, Davis told how Clooney had auditioned for the role of her character’s love interest, the attractive drifter JD, before the part eventually went to Pitt, giving him his career breakthrough.

She said Clooney had later joked to her during a shared flight that missing out on the part had made him “hate” Pitt.

Davis said: “I happened to be seated next to him on an airplane and he is very gregarious and chatty and wonderful. And at some point he said, ‘I hate that Brad Pitt’.

“Well no, he is like your best friend or something? And he said ‘No, because he got the part’.

“And I said, ‘Oh, did you want that part?’ and he said, ‘Couldn’t you tell when I auditioned with you?’”

In 2004, Davis launched the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, which does research into representation in Hollywood and the wider screen industry.

The actress told GMB there was still work to do.

“My institute does all the research and the current studies show that 20% of characters in movies are 50 and over,” she said.

“But 5% is women (who are) 50 and over. So the slice of the pie that we get is so minuscule.”