George Clooney inspired Naomie Harris to create an app. The encounter happened during a collaborative project for luxury timepiece brand Omega, where both actors serve as brand ambassadors.
The 48-year-old actress praised the 63-year-old star for making a “beeline” towards her when they were on a photoshoot for watch brand Omega and urging her to fulfill her ambitions away from their shared profession. Clooney has been an Omega ambassador for many years, along with Harris who joined the brand’s roster more recently.
“It’s all down to George Clooney — I blame him!” Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar UK, she said. “He made a beeline for me, and he spent about an hour talking to me about how I couldn’t just be an actress anymore, about how times had changed and I could do anything…” This conversation reportedly took place during an international promotional event for the luxury watch brand.
“I don’t know why he suspected this of me, but he said, ‘I know you have a voice and I know you’re not using it.'” Clooney himself has successfully ventured beyond acting into directing, producing, and co-founding the tequila brand Casamigos, which sold for a substantial sum in 2017.
The “Black and Blue” actress then got the idea of an app, which she wouldn’t explain the exact nature of but teased it is designed to challenge “an industry that hasn’t had disruption since its inception,” and after meeting with Google Maps software developer Lars Rasmussen, it is now in development. Rasmussen is known for co-creating Google Maps before joining Facebook as an engineering director.
And Harris is all set to promote her new venture herself. The actress has already begun assembling a team of tech industry veterans and creative minds to bring her vision to life, with the app expected to launch in the coming months.
“What I find difficult is having to sell myself — I think I’ll be more fully myself when the attention is on the product instead of me,” she admitted, speaking about selling the product. This sentiment reflects Harris’s known preference for privacy, having largely kept her personal life out of the spotlight throughout her career in the entertainment industry.
Some of her pals fear her new venture means the ‘Skyfall’ star will be giving up acting but she insisted she won’t be taking too much of a step back. Harris has appeared in two James Bond films as Eve Moneypenny and received an Academy Award nomination for her supporting role in “Moonlight.”
“I’ve had friends get a bit upset about what I’m doing because they don’t understand why, after I’ve worked so hard to get to the level of my profession I’m at now, I’d give it all up,” she said. “But I don’t think I’m giving anything up, because I think one kind of work will help the other. So for as long as I possibly can, I’ll do both.” Many successful actors eventually branch out into entrepreneurial ventures while maintaining their performance careers.
Harris admitted her team has questioned if she would also like to write, direct or produce but she insisted acting is as far as her industry ambitions go. This distinguishes her from many of her peers who have expanded into multiple creative roles within the film industry.
“My agents have often asked me whether I’d like to go down that route, but I’ve always felt that acting was my dream and it’s enough of a challenge for me,” she said. Harris studied at Cambridge University before attending the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, building a solid foundation for her acting career.
Harris joins other celebrities entering the tech space, following ventures from stars like Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Alba, and Will.i.am. Celebrity-founded startups have attracted significant venture capital in recent years, highlighting the increasing intersection between entertainment and technology entrepreneurship.
The actress’s upcoming app is expected to combine elements of social connectivity with practical utility, though specific details remain confidential. Technology industry experts suggest that Harris’s profile could help her app gain traction in an increasingly competitive marketplace where standing out has become more challenging for new entrants.
