Although George Clooney's name is on the tip of more than a few tongues as he vies for the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in "The Descendants," the silver fox's personal life is a facet of his fame that rarely takes center stage.
But the Hollywood mainstay opens up about his private life -- discussing his drinking habits and loneliness -- in the newest issue of The Hollywood Reporter.
"I drink at times too much," the actor revealed. "I do enjoy drinking, and there have been times in my life when it's crossed the line from being fun to having to drink late at night for absolutely no reason. So what I do is, I stop. I haven't had a drink since New Year's Eve."
So, does that mean that he'll forgo a celebratory toast if things go his way on Oscar night? Perhaps, but if he does, it's not likely that it will be with buddy Brad Pitt -- who, it turns out, is more a casual friend than the sidekick the public has elected him to be.
"We’re good friends, but it’s different from what people think, meaning we don’t spend a lot of time together," Clooney explains of his relationship with Pitt. "He has been to my home in Como; we motorcycle together. But until recently, I hadn’t seen Brad in a year."
Pitt isn't the only famous face who has been invited to Clooney's Lake Como estate. Stories of the actor's wild, waterside parties aren't anything new among Hollywood's elite. But while Clooney's Italian address may be the site of many convivial gatherings, the actor experiences feelings of solitude nonetheless.
"Anyone would be lying if they said they didn’t get lonely at times," Clooney admits. "The loneliest you will get is in the most public of arenas."
One person who is making things a bit less lonely for the actor is his girlfriend, Stacy Keibler. The pair have been making the rounds on the red carpet throughout the award show season, a new lifestyle that the WWE-born leggy blonde has grown increasingly comfortable with.
"Everyone has been so incredibly nice to me," Keibler told The Huffington Post earlier this year. "I have always tried to stay as private as I can be and George is a very private person and so, yes, it is hard to try and retain some sort of normalcy and privacy at times."
It can be lonely at the top, but hopefully Clooney will find himself on-stage and among friends on Oscar night.
Head over to The Hollywood Reporter for more from Clooney.
