Actor George Clooney used his appearance at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday to warn about political divisions and fear.

His remarks came while he was accepting the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.

The speech did not identify any specific public figures.

Instead, Clooney reflected on his lengthy career before turning his attention to the divisions of the current moment.

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He presented storytelling as a force that can challenge those who rely on fear. Clooney also emphasized the ability of films and other forms of art to encourage empathy.

“Stories are always dangerous to people who peddle in fear,” he said.

Clooney then described a moment in which influential people are encouraging division.

He connected that warning to lessons from history.

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“We’re living through a moment in time where the people in charge and people with the most money are telling us to fear one another,” the ER star said.

“But we know better than that, don’t we? Because history does teach us a lesson.”

Clooney argued that journalists and artists are among the first people targeted by authoritarians. He included filmmakers, writers, actors and musicians in that warning.

“The first people that authoritarians try to shut down are not politicians. They’re journalists who ask questions, they’re the artists who refuse simple answers, the filmmakers, writers, actors and musicians who insist that someone you never met is deserving of your empathy,” he added.

At the same time, Clooney acknowledged that movies cannot directly resolve wars or political and economic problems.

He nevertheless said they can achieve something important by changing how audiences see strangers.

“Stories are always dangerous to people who peddle in fear,” he said.

“The people who are afraid of books and music and stories are never the heroes in history.”

“So yes, movies don’t stop wars, they don’t lower inflation, they don’t fix elections. But they do do something remarkable.”

“They remind us that a stranger is never stranger, and that he might just be the hero in somebody else’s story. And if we can still sit together in the dark and care about people we’ve never met, I think we’ll be okay,” he added.

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George Clooney says “stories are always dangerous to people who peddle in fear” in a moving speech at the #VeniceFilmFestival:

"So yes, movies don’t stop wars, they don’t lower inflation, they don’t fix elections. But they do do something remarkable. They remind us that a… pic.twitter.com/rdeWsHx3XO — Variety (@Variety) September 2, 2026

Prior to delivering the speech, Clooney held a press conference where he defended actor Mark Ruffalo.

Ruffalo had faced accusations of antisemitism after speaking about Paramount’s David and Larry Ellison.

Ruffalo said the Ellisons are “powering some of the most destructive and inhuman forces in the world.”

Clooney responded by defending Ruffalo’s ability to express his views freely.

“I support Mark Ruffalo’s ability to speak freely,” Clooney said.

“I don’t see how the merger financially ends up making sense for the people who are trying to do it. We’ll see.”

Clooney also offered an assessment of the current government during the press conference.

He then pointed to elections in November and 2028 while discussing what he believes could happen next.

“I think maybe we have a kakistocracy right now, but we’ll get through it,” he added.

“We will have an election in November that should be a check and balance. And then in 2028, we will have a restoration of some normalcy.”

Across both appearances, Clooney focused on political divisions, free expression, and the role of storytelling.

His Venice speech ultimately centered on the idea that empathy for people audiences have never met can push back against fear.

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