Time hits newsstands tomorrow with a George Clooney cover, "The Last Movie Star." Reporter Joel Stein mixed things up and asked Clooney to his house for dinner, and Clooney actually came. There is a lengthy interview/profile and a hysterical video of the evening on Time's website (footage includes Clooney inspecting the living room, Clooney in Stein's crawlspace). Clooney is up for the Best Actor Oscar this Sunday night for "Michael Clayton."
Some highlights:
Clooney also preempts situations that might earn him ridicule later. So he has either turned down every gift bag he's been offered or has put them up on eBay for charity. "I've been smart about that. Rich famous people getting free s___ looks bad. You look greedy. And I don't need a cell phone with sparkles on it," he says.
"I know what pisses people off about fame," Clooney says. "It's when famous people whine about it."
"After Syriana and Good Night, and Good Luck I was offered the Richard Clarke book and every issues movie," Clooney says. "I didn't want to be the issues guy because if the issues change, you're done. The Facts of Life is a good example. If you're a young heartthrob--which I never caught on as--those fans not only abandon you, but they're embarrassed to have liked you. It's the same thing with issues movies. I want to just be a director."
Clooney wasn't able to get into Darfur until late January, when the U.N. said it would give him an official title. "I have a U.N. passport. It says 'Messenger of Peace' on it. It's very cool," he says.
{On Oscars] There is no way Daniel Day Lewis won't win. For me, it's like being Hillary Clinton. If it weren't for Barack Obama, it would have been a very good year.
Read the whole thing, and be sure to watch the video.
