George Clooney Believes Greece Should Get Its Marbles Back

The renowned Caryatids in the Acropolis Museum. The figures were originally six but one was removed by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century and is now in the British Museum in London. The pedestal for the Caryatid removed to London (second from the left on the front) remains empty.

Hollywood actor George Clooney recently expressed his opinion that the UK should “do the right thing” and return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.

During a press conference held on 8 February at the Berlin Film Festival for his film The Monuments Men, Mr. Clooney was asked by a Greek journalist “if the Parthenon Marbles should be returned to Greece.”

Mr. Clooney replied: “I think you have a very good case to make about your artifacts. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad thing if they were returned. I think that is a good idea. I think that would be a very fair and very nice thing. Yeah, I think it is the right thing to do.”

The question was related to the actor’s new film The Monuments Men, which refers to an American team of experts in arts sent by the Allies to try to save artifacts from being stolen by the Nazis.

UK: “Mr. Clooney might not really know what he was talking about”

Speaking to the Independent, John Whittingdale, the chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, suggested that the actor said what he said because he “probably doesn’t know the history of the Elgin Marbles and the legal entitlement that Britain has to them.”

On her part, Maria Pullinger Koutsikou, campaign manager for Marbles Reunited, told the Independent that it is always positive when public figures speak in favor of reunification of the Parthenon Marbles as it helps raise awareness.