When you chase your ambitions sometimes you sacrifice things you wish you hadn't

CO-STARS GEORGE CLOONEY AND ADAM SANDLER DISCUSS WORK/LIFE BALANCE AND THEIR FRIENDSHIP AS THEY JOIN FORCES FOR NETFLIX FILM JAY KELLY.

- BY YOLANTHE FAWEHINMI

ROAD TRIP: L-R, George as actor Jay Kelly and Adam as his manager Ron Sukenick head off on an odyssey of self-discovery in Italy

ALTHOUGH George Clooney and Adam Sandler have been friends for over 25 years, they have never collaborated on a project together, until now.

When Oscar-nominated American filmmaker Noah Baumbach, 56, sent George the script for Jay Kelly, the star jumped at the chance to play opposite Adam, 59.

"I really like him," admits the 64-year-old Oscar and Golden Globe winner.

"We play basketball together, throw a baseball around. He's really funny, and he's got a great family. But I think sometimes what gets overlooked with Adam is his skill as an actor. Sometimes it's because he does big, funny movies that people don't think require the kind of talent that they actually require.

"This is a movie that continues to expose his talent. He's done some films that have proven that over the years, and everybody sees it, but it always kind of gets dismissed. And he likes that, by the way. He likes to sort of downplay it. But what he does in this film is extraordinary."

Before Jay Kelly's dizzying opening scene, there is a quote from The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath, which says: "It's a hell of a responsibility to be yourself. It's much easier to be somebody else, or nobody at all."

It sets the tone for the entire comedy-drama, which follows a famous movie actor, Jay Kelly, played by George, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery.