The George Clooney Interview
by Harold von Kursk (special to GT)
____________________________________
LOS ANGELES – When you’re constantly being proclaimed
as one of the world’s handsomest men, when you and
your films keep earning Oscar nominations, and you may
have finally met the woman of your dreams, there isn’t
much to keep you from smiling all day long. So how
good does George Clooney have it ?
« Yeah, I have a real tough life !, » laughs Clooney.
« But I have the satisfaction of knowing that I’ve
worked very hard to get to where I am now and I’m not
going to start slacking off anytime soon…You can’t
afford to ever get too comfortable because that’s when
the bad stuff will hit you when you aren’t looking. I
still feel that I haven’t done my best work although
I’ve at least put myself in the position where I can
keep doing what I love and enjoy the process. »
« That, for me, is what it’s all about. I’ve had a
pretty good plan which I’ve been following for the
last ten or so in terms of becoming a director,
developing my own projects and taking my work to the
next level. I even have a bit of a personal life
these days ! (Laughs) I don’t want to make anyone sick
– but things are going pretty well for me ! »
When Clooney showed up at last month’s Oscars with his
girlfriend of the past seven months Sarah Lawson at
his side, that was a momentous indication that their
romance is not only the real deal, but one which
Clooney himself must feel has long-term potential. At
46, George seems to have everything going his way.
Throw in the fact that he spends several months of the
year luxuriating at his Italian villa along the shores
of Lake Como and you may wonder why he even bothers to
keep working at his typically workaholic pace.
A case in point is his new film, « Leatherheads. »
Not only did Clooney himself substantially re-write a
script he first discovered in 1993, but he also
directs and co-stars in this offbeat romantic comedy
alongside long-time friend Renee Zellweger. Set in
the 1920s, the film is in many ways an hommage to
Hollywood screwball comedies of the thirties, and
consists of a love triangle involving an aging
football player (Clooney), his star rookie teammate
and war hero (John Krasinski), and a feisty journalist
(Zellweger) who masquerades as a sports reporter to
see whether the hero’s battlefield exploits may in
fact have been grossly exaggerated. It’s a
delightful piece of comic zaniness and Clooney has
again surpassed himself in his third film as a
director.
In the interview that follows, the fit and
ever-handsome Clooney opens up about his fabulous life
and how he and long-time gal pal Zellweger enjoyed
working together. Enjoying the comfort of his suite at
the Four Season’s Hotel, George looked appropriately
dapper in a black linen suit, white shirt with blue
stripes, and a polka-dot handkerchief ever so neatly
peaking out of his jacket’s breast pocket.
THE INTERVIEW
Q : George, you’ve been friends with Renee Zellweger
from your early days in Hollywood. What was it like
working with her on « Leatherheads ? »
CLOONEY : She’s a great woman ! When I was working
on the script for the film, I knew right away that she
would be perfect for the role of Lexi because she
could play the kind of smart woman who isn’t about to
get conned by my character or any other guy in the
film. Renee also has great comic instincts and so it
was just a dream to work with her and direct her.
Since I’m her friend, I could just wink and she knew
what I meant and I didn’t have to waste time being
diplomatic. I could say, « Hey, I’ve just added this
great nude love scene between us !» Things like that.
(Smiles)
Q : Is it an added strain to be both director and
star?
CLOONEY : I killed myself making this movie. As a
director your head is so full of things you need to do
or with all kinds of problems that you’ve really got
to focus or you’ll never make it to the end. The one
huge benefit of doing this film is that we were doing
so much running and playing so many football games
just for fun that I got into the best shape of my life
– or at least since I was in my twenties. I had been
in pretty bad shape after wrecking my neck on Syriana
and having gained weight for that film. So «
Leatherheads » was my personal fitness regime and I
have to say I feel much better especially since as you
get older your body starts creaking and aching all
over.
Q : What was it about this story which made you want
to make this film ?
CLOONEY ; I wanted to re-create to a certain extent
the kind of world that existed then or at least the
feeling people had about themselves and what life was
like. It was such a different era where people had a
different rhythm of life and where in a way things
were simpler. It’s also about a small town lifestyle
where you didn’t worry about leaving the front door
unlocked and you had a very close relationship with
your neighbours and you would hang out at your
friends’ houses all the time. That was my life
growing up.
It was a more intimate kind of world where people
spoke to each other more and had more time for each
other. Today our attention is spread out a hundred
different ways with television, the internet, and
cellphones and blackberries. It’s not the same. So
having a chance to kind of relive that time in our
history was very special. I hope that’s what comes
across when people see the film.
Q: You have a very powerful work ethic. Where does
that come from?
CLOONEY : My father has a lot to do with that. He
also had a very high level of integrity when it came
to his work and the important political issues of the
day. He was a very committed journalist and he taught
me a lot about having principles and how to treat
other people with respect. I think when you grow up
with that it leaves a huge impression on you and as I
got older and smarter I started to understand that you
can do a lot with your life if you work hard to
achieve your goals.
Q : What did your father think of your desire to
pursue a career as an actor and move to Los Angeles ?
CLOONEY : It was a matter of some concern to him, at
the very minimum ! (Smiles) Of course he understood
that I wanted to get out of Kentucky and that my aunt
Rosemary was a huge inspiration to me because she was
one of the biggest celebrities of her time. But he
told me that I would have a tough time and that I
should be prepared to deal with a lot of
disappointment but when you’re 20 you’re not thinking
like that. You’re driven by hope and dreaming of the
good life, whatever that may be.
Q : Do you think you would have been able to get your
film career going if it hadn’t been for ER and the
success of that series ?
CLOONEY : It might have taken longer or it might
never have happened at all. But I think I would still
have wanted to get into film because that was where I
was aiming at. ER was the pinnacle of my TV career
because I had been working steadily on many, many
different and sometimes terrible series almost from
the time I arrived in L.A. Of course, ER could have
flopped if it had been shown on Friday instead of
Thursday night, or I could have been under contract on
another series playing a detective at the time ER fell
into my lap. So there are many interesting
intersections in life that you have to cross before
you get where you want to be.
Where I was really lucky in a sense is that none of
the sitcoms I had beeing doing up until that point
had ever been a big success. So I was never identified
as a sitcom star and that gave me the chance to do ER.
When you become a star on a serious show like that it
opens up a lot more possibilities than if you would be
a star on a very cheezy sitcom. Then you don’t get
the chance to have a film career – you’re trapped.
Q : Is that why you chose not to play big commercial
films after your experience doing « Batman ? »
CLOONEY : That was out of self-preservation as much
as anything else. There was so much hype around my
being « Batman » that it could have killed my career
because of the pretty dismal reception the film and my
performance received. I also didn’t want to do a lot
of easy romantic comedies. I wanted to make films like
« Three Kings » and « Out of Sight » because those
kinds of films are trying to push the envelope and
have a chance to leave some kind of mark.
Just like a « Syriana » or a « Michael Clayton » are
projects that give you the feeling that you’re at
least attempting to do serious work and not just sell
popcorn. Even though people now regard « Syriana » as
the kind of film which was bound to succeed, it was
very difficult to get that project financed. Now at
least I’m in a better position to get films like that
made and I need to work just as hard now to develop
good projects so I can take advantage of whatever
momentum I might have.
Q : You seem to have created a very good life for
yourself apart from your career. Was that something
you planned or did it just happen ?
CLOONEY : I was working so hard on my film projects
that for a time I basically didn’t even think very
much about how my personal life was evolving. I
didn’t care, in the sense that I didn’t have a family
or children to look after and that I wasn’t involved
in any long-term relationships.
The thing which changed my life in a very pleasant way
was buying the villa in Laglio. But that wasn’t
planned. That was a pure investment decision – I
thought maybe I would spend a few weeks vacationing
there and that would be it. But then I realised how
beautiful life was in Italy and how it really helped
calm me and not feel so pressured. I could also work
very productively and bring my friends over to keep me
company.
Italy offered me a very enjoyable alternative to my
life in L.A. I could relax there and also work
without feeling as much stress because otherwise in
L.A. you wind up taking meetings with writers and
producers and you’re completely wrapped up in the
business side of things.
Q : Has your life in Italy also enabled you to escape
the trappings of being one of the world’s biggest
celebrities ?
CLOONEY : It takes you out of the spotlight for
several months at a time. It’s much easier for me to
hang out with friends at a restaurant in Laglio or a
lot of other small villages and towns without fifty
photographers showing up in half an hour.
My life over there takes me away from the circus
aspects of being a celebrity and that’s a pleasant
change for me. But unfortunately Laglio is turning
into a bit of a tourist mecca now and so I have to be
a little more careful whenever I’m there – either
that, or I should just stand at the entrance to the
village handing out tourist brochures. I don’t really
worry about that though. Whenever I want, I can
always stage a diversion and invite Brad and Angie and
their fifteen children to come over. Then I can sneak
away to the other side of the lake by boat and do
whatever I want. (Smiles and shrugs his shoulders –
ED)
Q: Clint Eastwood has had a very long career as an
actor and director. Do you see yourself working into
your seventies?
CLOONEY: I would love to be in that position. I
can't see myself retiring on some island and drinking
margheritas the entire day. I need to feel I'm doing
something interesting and creative with my life and
keeping pushing myself to do better work. I'm
relentless that way.
Q: Eastwood has eight children. You have a lot of
catching up to do, don't you?
CLOONEY: Sorry. I'll let Clint hold the record.
Even one kid running around my villa makes me nervous
so I'm not a candidate for father of the year. If I
need to surround myself with children and feel like
I'm some sort of patriarch, I can always call Brad and
Angie and ask them to stay with me just to remind me
why I don't have any children myself!
Q; You keep working at a very high pace. Are you as
driven as ever?
CLOONEY: I can't help myself. I love the work, I
need the work, and it's the thing which makes me
happiest in life. I've kind of settled on this way of
living.
Q : But things could change ?
CLOONEY : Yeah, and Max my pig could come back from
pig heaven !
Q : There’s been all this talk about you returning to
do a final ER episode ?
CLOONEY : It’s always nice to have a job waiting for
you in case your current gig doesn’t work out !
Q : Your personal life also seems to taking a fairly
happy turn these days ?
CLOONEY : I’ve got to make up for a lot of lost time
! Let’s just say I’m pleased with the way things are
going.
