George Clooney says Mark Wahlberg and Johnny Depp 'regret' turning down Matt Damon's role in 'Ocean's Eleven'

• George Clooney said that Mark Wahlberg and Johnny Depp were approached to star in "Ocean's Eleven."
• Clooney said at the 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival that both stars turned the role down.
• The role of Linus Caldwell eventually went to Matt Damon.

George Clooney said that Mark Wahlberg and Johnny Depp "regret" turning down roles in the 2001 remake of "Ocean's Eleven."

According to Entertainment Weekly, star Clooney and Steven Soderbergh, the director of the iconic heist movie, discussed how the movie came together while attending the 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival last week.

At one point during a conversation about casting the movie, Clooney confirmed reports that Mark Wahlberg and Johnny Depp were both approached to play the same role, Linus Caldwell. The role eventually went to Matt Damon who reprised the role in the movie's sequels.

"Steven had just done 'Erin Brockovich' and 'Traffic,' and he was nominated for directing both films," Clooney said. "So, people really wanted to work with Steven."

The "Magic Mike" director then added: "That said, some people did say no to us."

Clooney then said: "They did. Some very famous people told us to fuck right off. Mark Wahlberg, Johnny Depp. There were others. They regret it now. I regret doing fucking Batman."

Wahlberg and Depp may not be the only big names to turn down the movie.

It has been rumored that Danny Glover, Bruce Willis, Owen Wilson, and Luke Wilson were all approached for roles in the movie.

Willis did make a cameo in the sequel "Ocean's Twelve" in a hilarious scene in which Julia Roberts' character, Tess Ocean, pretended to be Roberts so they could complete a heist.

Clooney and Soderbergh also said that between them, the connections of their producer Jerry Weintraub, and the script, they were able to attract many other big names to the movie including Brad Pitt and Roberts.

Clooney joked that he sent Roberts the script with a $20 bill and a note that said, "I hear you get 20 a picture now," referring to reports that she was making $20 million per movie. Clooney said that the joke made her laugh and agree to join the cast.