GEORGE CLOONEY: "I KNOW WHEN I DIE I'M GOING TO HELL"

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GEORGE CLOONEY: "I KNOW WHEN I DIE I'M GOING TO HELL"

A CLOSE encounter with George Clooney is everything you’d expect. He’s handsome, charming and funny, and when he walks into the room you know you’re in the presence of a star.
Judging by his outfit – designer jeans, stylish shoes and a leather jacket that most of us wouldn’t even know where to buy – he’s not bothering to disguise his worth. But then the man who parties hard, works even harder.
Not content with giving a career-best performance as a dad trying to connect with his kids in The Descendants (hand him his Oscar now) he also recently starred in and directed The Ides of March, playing an unscrupulous presidential candidate.

“I thought it would be a fun world to examine,” says the 50-year-old Kentuckian. “I grew up at a time where I think most people had a social and political conscience and some of the biggest changes in our country’s political history were happening.”

Clooney’s father was a TV newsman who later ran for Congress, while his great grandfather was a local mayor, so it’s not surprising that the actor takes an active interest in current affairs. He supported Obama in 2008 and campaigns against atrocities around the globe, especially in Darfur. But playing a politician in The Ides of March hasn’t left him with the desire to run for office.
So I’m happy just to dip my toe into political issues, like in Sudan

“I have a very comfortable life,” he says. “So I’m happy just to dip my toe into political issues, like in Sudan.”
The most laid-back of movie stars, George is happy to admit that he wouldn’t pass muster for America’s conservative electorate. “Well, I know that when I die I’m going to hell,” he gurgles. Not that he’s trying to tell us he’s a bad guy.

“Most actors are pretty kind to one another because you’re so lucky when you get to be in a film. You’re very privileged and you understand that it’s not just your brilliance that got you there, that you’re sitting on the shoulders of a lot of happy accidents along the way.”

Clooney, lest we forget, didn’t make it big until he was in his thirties. Landing the role of Dr Doug Ross in ER followed two decades of hard slog. Then, after six years in the TV drama, he made the tricky transition to film star, his occasional blunder (Batman & Robin) offset by huge hits such as the Ocean’s series and critics’ favourites like Michael Clayton. These days he’s got a growing reputation as a director, too, saying, “I’m interested in making films that ask questions and don’t particularly provide answers.”

The kind of questions that George himself gets asked tend to pertain to his love life – and he never answers them. So we can only speculate why this most eligible of bachelors, who has previously dated British model Lisa Snowdon and Italian actress Elisabetta Canalis, is now hooking up with former wrestler Stacy Keibler (although the fact that she’s in her thirties and incredibly beautiful might provide some clue).

Marriage is an unlikely prospect. George was hitched to actress Talia Balsam from 1989 until 1993 and, on Piers Morgan’s US chat show last year, he summed up his experience with a nonchalant “So I gave it a shot.” He’s been similarly dismissive of fatherhood, saying, “Even one kid running around makes me nervous. If I need to surround myself with children, I can always call Brad and Angie and ask them to stay.”

George has a huge home in LA, but when he’s not working the actor can be found at his villa in Lake Como.
“I love the Italian way of life,” he says. “I had 20 years of standing up and shovelling food down my throat so it’s really nice to sit down and have a two-hour lunch. It’s not about wealth, it’s about taking time and actually enjoying things.”

Although having a small fortune can’t hurt. George’s villa is an 18th- century property with 13 bedrooms.

“I bought it as an investment. I never liked the stock market – to me it’s Vegas without any of the fun parts – like girls in bikinis,” he adds, flashing one of his killer smiles. “I spent a lot of time broke when I moved to California so deep in my soul there’s still this idea of being unemployed. To me owning land means you could sell it at some point and have money.”

George Clooney unemployed? Not likely. The Ides of March proves him to be a natural behind the camera – and not for the first time. Both Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Good Night and Good Luck received critical acclaim.
“I’ve been in this business a long time,” he reflects.

“And after a while you start to realise that, creatively, you need to continue trying new things. Acting is one element of a film, but directing combines all those elements – sound and music and camera – and that can be exciting. Also, since I turned 50, I look at myself on screen and go, ‘I don’t look like I did when I was 40’.

I was watching Up in the Air and I thought, ‘Jesus, who’s the old grey-haired guy?’ I never wear make-up for movies and now it’s starting to show. But I’m kind of comfortable with getting older because it’s better than the other option, which is being dead. So I’ll take getting older.”

The Ides of March is out on DVD and Blu-ray on March 5.

The Ides of March has been out on DVD/BluRay for some time. The Descendants is coming out on DVD/Bluray on March 13. It's amazing how these "tabloids" pick from here and there and put together an interview that really isn't. It's too bad they don't get all their facts right.

pattygirl wrote: It's too bad they don't get all their facts right.

You mean George isn't going to hell when he dies???

Sorry, couldn't resist.

The guy looks good in any colour....hmmmmmm especially red!!!

Anyway, at least we have his future travels plans to add to the 'where is he now' thread when he dies!

It's from an English newspaper...Ides of March isn't out here until 5th March....

Lucky! I'm off to Germany next week so I thought I'd order some DVDs to take home with me from the German Amazon site. The Descendants DVD is due in May while the Ides of March is (drumroll please!) expected in October!!!!

If George is going to hell, I'll see him there.

Merlin wrote:It's from an English newspaper...Ides of March isn't out here until 5th March....

NEXT WEEK.....Whoooooopeeeeeee

Astras wrote:If George is going to hell, I'll see him there.

I am not sure if George going to Hell is good for all the Hell-ions. He is going to make it even HOTTER there! Isn't HELL HOT ENOUGH?

I, myself, am going to repent immediately. There is no way I could take that much heat, especially if George is there, too! I sweat enough already!

Somehow everyone keeps talking about going to heaven and seeing the Light.

Maybe HELL is living here on earth? Maybe we are already in HELL and now we have to work our way back into the Light by making better choices?

hmh1108 wrote:Maybe HELL is living here on earth? Maybe we are already in HELL and now we have to work our way back into the Light by making better choices?

I'm inclined to agree with you there hmh. IMO it's called Karma.

Designer jeans and stylish shoes? Are we sure they were talking to George. I don't recall him out of the Levi's and biker boots.

fava wrote:I don't recall him out of the Levi's and biker boots.

Just at my house last night Fava!!!!

In the past, he has stated that he was sure that he would be spending some time in purgatory. Now he is going to hell? Georgie, what have you been up to that we don't know about……