George Clooney Makes Broadway History with Live Broadcast of "Good Night, and Good Luck" on CNN

Published: June 8, 2025

George Clooney's Broadway play "Good Night, and Good Luck" has made history by being broadcast live on CNN, marking the first time a live Broadway performance has been simultaneously televised.

Clooney, who directed the 2005 film version, plays journalist Edward R. Murrow in the play, his Broadway debut. The Tony-nominated play had its penultimate performance from the Winter Garden Theatre broadcast live on CNN and CNN.com on Saturday, June 7.

"I can't tell you how exciting it is to do something that's never been done," Clooney said in a statement about the televised event. "CNN is the perfect place to bring this story of courage to so many more people than we could have ever hoped. Live TV. No net. Buckle up, everyone."

Chairman and CEO of CNN Mark Thompson added, "Good Night, and Good Luck is not just a celebration of a golden age in TV journalism, it's also about the importance of the free press and the need for strong news organizations to report the facts in a fair-minded way. That's something we still care deeply about."

The production marks Clooney's Broadway debut, and comes 15 years since the hit 2005 movie about CBS journalist Murrow's 1954 exposé on Sen. Joseph McCarthy. Clooney directed the film version, in which he played Fred W. Friendly.

Clooney stars as Murrow onstage and co-wrote the stage adaptation with Grant Heslov. The two previously collaborated on the film's screenplay, nabbing a Best Original Screenplay Oscar nomination in the process.

During an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers on June 2, Clooney joked that one of the first things he'll do after his final performance is fix his "bad" hair.

Tickets for Good Night, and Good Luck are now on sale. The play wraps up its limited run on Sunday, June 8.