Matt Damon has recalled how George Clooney chose not to renegotiate his ER contract, despite potentially being able to negotiate a much higher salary, because he was determined to leave television and build a career in film.
Speaking about the changing relationship between television and movies, Damon recalled Clooney's decision to keep his original ER contract rather than negotiate for more money. Damon said Clooney was making '20 grand or whatever his deal was' on his final episode, while co-star Anthony Edwards was making around $1 million (about £757,000) for an episode.
Damon made the comments during an appearance with Ben Affleck on The Joe Rogan Experience, while discussing how difficult it was for television actors to make the transition to movies during the 1990s.
The $20,000 (£15,100) figure should be treated as Damon's estimate rather than a confirmed historical salary. Damon himself qualified the figure when recalling Clooney's pay, making clear that he was not presenting it as a precise figure.
Damon's recollection differs from some contemporary salary reports, which cited different figures for both actors. A February 1999 report in The Guardian, for example, put Clooney's salary at $42,000 (£32,000) per episode and Edwards' at $375,000 (£284,000) per episode. The differing figures reinforce that Damon's comments should be treated as a recollection rather than definitive evidence of Clooney's historical salary.
Matt Damon reveals George Clooney gave up millions, accepting $20K per episode while his co-star took $1M just to break out of TV into film
by u/RoxySinner in popculturechat
Clooney Chose Not To Renegotiate His 'ER' Contract
Clooney became one of television's biggest stars as paediatrician Dr Doug Ross on ER, which debuted in 1994 and was television's No. 1 series by 1998. By January 1998, The Washington Post reported that Clooney's five-year contract was due to expire the following year and that he was not expected to remain on the series.
'George never renegotiated his contract. He wanted to work in movies,' Damon said, explaining that the move from television to film was regarded as a difficult career transition at the time. Damon said Clooney could have negotiated a larger salary, but doing so would have meant committing to more years on the series. 'He could have renegotiated, but he would have had to give more years,' Damon recalled.
Contemporary reporting supports the broader account that Clooney was preparing to leave once his five-year contract ended. In June 1998, The Washington Post reported that he would depart ER after the following television season, with Clooney saying through his spokeswoman that he wanted to 'try something else'.
Rather than commit to additional years on one of television's biggest shows, Clooney chose to honour his existing contract and pursue opportunities away from the medical drama.
The precise amount Clooney might have earned if he had renegotiated his contract was not established in the contemporary reports cited here. What is clear from Damon's account is that Clooney could have negotiated for more money but wanted to pursue film instead.
Clooney Was Already Chasing a Film Career
Clooney's decision was not simply about leaving television. He had already begun pursuing major film opportunities while starring on ER. By 1996, he had appeared in From Dusk Till Dawn and was preparing to star in The Peacemaker, while continuing to honour his ER commitment.
His film ambitions came with considerable uncertainty. Contemporary coverage described several of his early movies, including One Fine Day, The Peacemaker and Batman & Robin, as box-office disappointments, meaning there was no guarantee that leaving a hugely successful television series would pay off.
Yet Clooney continued to pursue film work while remaining committed to ER. His departure was confirmed in 1998, and he ultimately left the series in 1999 after five seasons.
Damon described ER as 'the biggest TV show in the world' and recalled that Clooney was willing to forgo the opportunity to negotiate a potentially much larger television paycheque because he wanted to make movies.
The decision came at a time when the move from television to film was regarded as a difficult career transition. For an actor who had become closely associated with a hugely successful television role, leaving ER carried considerable professional uncertainty.
Clooney subsequently built a substantial film career, working as an actor, director and producer after leaving the series.
Damon's recollection offers a glimpse into the financial and professional calculation behind that decision: rather than commit to additional years on ER, Clooney chose to leave his television role and pursue the film career he had already begun building.
