'Dumbell' Brad and 'nerd' George?

27 August 2008 03:45pm

They are both dapper, intelligent and charming - so there is something funny about Brad Pitt and George Clooney being cast as "idiots" in their latest film.

The characters they play in Burn After Reading are described by its directors the Coen brothers as "knuckleheads".

George described his roles in the brothers' films as a "trilogy of idiots".

Talking at the Venice Film Festival George, who plays bearded womaniser Harry Pfarrer in the film, described the formation of the character.

He said: "When we were fitting clothes for the character, I askedÂ… if I could wear a gold chain.

"With that, everything fell into place. I knew exactly what the guy had to look like.

"Pants high on his waist, kind of a nerd. I felt as if I was really out there with this character. It was a bit unnerving. But then when I would see Brad Pitt prancing around in tight Spandex shorts, I knew I was okay," he joked.

While Brad described his character as "a dumbbell, a gum-chewing... iPod-addicted bubble-brain."

But director Joel Cohen had kinder words about his creations.

He told the gathered journalists he was starting to detect that people thought there was something wrong with being an idiot.

He told them it was a "sensitive subject and a big demographic".

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