Billy Crudup Shines in Scene That Forces George Clooney’s “Jay Kelly” to Reconsider Life Decisions
Admittedly when you see actor George Clooney’s name on a poster, you assume he’s going to suck all the oxygen out of the room. He’s got that movie star charisma that usually eclipses anyone unlucky – or lucky – enough to share a frame with him. However, in Netflix’s new drama “Jay Kelly,” something unexpected happens. Billy Crudup shows up for about 10 minutes, completely dismantles the film’s title character, and leaves you wondering if we’ve been underestimating him for the last two decades.
Billy Crudup’s Punching Performance
If you’ve seen the film, you know exactly which scene. If you haven’t, grab a tissue. Crudup plays Timothy, a child therapist who used to be an aspiring actor back in the day. He’s the proverbial ghost of Christmas Past for Clooney’s Jay Kelly, a reminder of who Jay was before he became a Hollywood icon. And while Clooney gives a great performance as a man questioning his own goodness, it is Crudup who delivers the film’s emotional knockout punch.
The Scene That Left Billy Crudup In Tears
The centerpiece of Crudup’s performance takes place in a restaurant called Chez Jay. It starts as a seemingly friendly reunion between old pals who haven’t seen each other in years. But the tension is thicker than the plot of a Christopher Nolan movie. Jay, in a moment of supreme arrogance masked as playfulness, asks Timothy to show off his old “Method acting” skills by reading the dinner menu.
It sounds like a joke setup, right? But what Crudup does with this moment is nothing short of terrifyingly brilliant. He commits to the bit, channeling long decades of resentment, failure, and lost dreams into a reading of appetizers and entrees. He cries while ordering. It’s uncomfortable, it’s heartbreaking, and apparently, it was just as intense to film as it is to watch.
Crudup admitted that the scene took around 40 takes to get right. By the time he got home, the emotional faucet was stuck in the “on” position. He told reporters that he couldn’t stop crying even after he left the set. That is the kind of visceral, gut-wrenching work that separates the good actors from the greats. He wasn’t just acting; he was exorcising demons.
The Dark History Between Jay Kelly and Timothy
What makes Crudup’s performance land so hard isn’t just the crying; it’s the context we get later in the film. We find out that Timothy isn’t just jealous; he was robbed. Flashbacks reveal that Jay didn’t just get lucky – he essentially hijacked Timothy’s life. Jay used Timothy’s acting notes, stole his audition style, and even ended up with the girl Timothy was dating. Just freakin’ wow.
Director Noah Baumbach throws in a bizarre, almost surreal detail in these flashbacks: the young Jay Kelly literally eats a photo of Marlon Brando to “absorb” his power. It’s a weird, specific choice that highlights just how desperate and consuming Jay’s ambition was. Timothy never stood a chance against that kind of voracious hunger for fame. Crudup plays the adult Timothy not as a villain, but as a man carrying the weight of a stolen destiny. When he tells Jay Kelly, “You kinda stole my life,” you believe him. You totally feel it in your bones.
Why This “Jay Kelly” Scene is Crudup’s “Golden God” Moment
It’s ironic that Crudup is playing the “failed” actor here, considering he’s currently crushing it on “The Morning Show.” But there is a meta-layer to this role. For years, Crudup has been the guy who is incredible in everything but often doesn’t get the “movie star” worship that guys like Clooney receive. He was rockstar Russell Hammond in “Almost Famous,” a Godlike singer who was somehow still relatable. In “The Watchmen” he was Dr. Manhattan. He’s been putting in the hard acting work for a long time.
In “Jay Kelly,” he is finally getting a moment that forces the audience – and the industry – to stop and stare. Crudup takes a supporting role and turns it into the emotional anchor of the entire movie. He’s streamlined it; he doesn’t need two hours of screen time to break your heart; he just needs a menu and a few minutes of star Clooney’s time.
So, is Jay Kelly a good person? The movie leaves that up for debate. But is Billy Crudup one of the best actors working today? After watching him read that menu, there is absolutely no question he is.
