Who Inspired 'Jay Kelly' — And Did Netflix Base the Film on a True Story?

Netflix has brought together some of Hollywood’s biggest stars in its film Jay Kelly, including George Clooney (Jay), Adam Sandler as Ron, and Laura Dern as Liz. The film was released in theaters on Nov. 14, 2025 (and comes to Netflix on Dec. 5, 2025), and it explores the life of famous actor Jay Kelly, who realizes that despite the fame and attention, he has quite a few regrets in his life.

Since the film is written by Noah Baumbach and Emily Mortimer, with Baumbach also serving as director, you’d assume it ties to a real-life event. His past films, like Marriage Story, were influenced by his own divorce, for starters. So it makes you wonder: Is Jay Kelly based on a true story? Here’s what Baumbach revealed.

Netflix’s Jay Kelly isn’t based on a true story, but it’s more of a magnifying glass on Hollywood in general and how the life a star leads can look starkly different from what you’d expect. The film explores self-realization and what Hollywood feels like from the inside, as opposed to how those of us on the outside tend to perceive it.

You see Jay living this amazing life, fan frenzy, constant travel, and anything he wants at his fingertips, but even with all that, there are still moments of regret. And those moments show up when you look within yourself. That’s exactly what Jay does when he decides to go on a European vacation with the two people who help him the most, Liz and Ron.

At one point in the movie, Jay says, “It’s like a movie where I’m playing myself,” describing his own life. And when he finally stops and takes a moment for himself on this self-discovery trip, he opens his mind to the parts of his life he could’ve handled better (like being a dad, for starters) and the parts he truly appreciates.

“This is a story of him having to come to terms with other parts of his life besides the part that he’s been very successful at,” George told Netflix’s Tudum. Baumbach also explained to The Hollywood Reporter, “In a way, the film is the story of a person who starts as a movie star and ends as a human being. Watching the movie, I thought it could be an experience of seeing our identification with movie stars turn back, so now he’s playing us.”

But the movie also celebrates Hollywood and filmmaking as a whole. Baumbach told THR, “This movie is in part about loving what you do, about accepting and celebrating the life you have and the job you have. All of that went into the tone.”

And while George Clooney can definitely relate to Jay with both being major Hollywood stars, he told Tudum that one big difference is that he’s grateful for the life he’s led. As for Jay, he “has a lot more regrets than I would have, because, luckily for me, fame came much later in my life.”

At the end of the film, Jay watches reel highlights from his career, and those clips are taken directly from George’s actual acting career. Baumbach tells THR, “The take you see in the movie is essentially him seeing it for the first time. It was actually quite emotional.”

He also shared that George is such a “timeless” actor who can fit into any acting category, making him the perfect choice for the role. Not only that, he’s someone the audience instantly recognizes and already has history with.