Gorgeous George

10 April 2012

You'd have to be made of tin not to find George Clooney attractive. He's one of the most popular movie stars in the world, yet he also seems like a good guy who is genuinely enjoying his life.

He's old-fashioned, debonair and smooth, but rugged and hip enough not to be too precious. In an industry given to fickle behaviour his longevity seems assured. So what is it that sets him apart?

There's nothing particularly exceptional about George Clooney - at least nothing we know of. But while fiercely guarded privacy is usually an annoying trait in public figures, it isn't with Clooney. He is private without being elusive. His thoughts, who he really is, we'll never know, a reticence that feels human.

In fact, everything the 42-year-old seems to be is complemented by something he isn't. He is, obviously, incredibly handsome, but so are a lot of men. But he is not arrogant, or aloof, or vain. As an actor he moves deftly between romantic comedy, serious roles and quirky characters, and although he's not in the pantheon of greats like De Niro or Pacino, he appears untroubled by it.

He is charming and good-natured, always grateful to be where he is, but never comes across as boring or bland. All of this means that his looks, his personality - even his talent - seem accessible. And therein lies the paradox. Because George Clooney is famously and shamelessly unavailable.

Women respond to his romantic detachment by wanting to tame him. But we all know, in the end, he would be the one to bolt when the discussion of 'us' rolls around - so it's comfortable for us to desire him from afar. Meanwhile, men want to be him. They want to have his life. Or, at the very least, his hair.

But, unlike other stars such as Brad Pitt (his co-star in Ocean's Eleven), Clooney is not too good-looking. He is not the prom king, he's the prom king's cuter, funnier best friend.

He is also clean. He showers. He brushes his teeth. These are important hygienic traits that often get overlooked with sexy actors. And he is sexy. Like Cary Grant or Clark Gable, he has a sophistication that - though it may not be organic - feels authentic. His latest role, as roguish lawyer Miles in the Coen Brothers' Intolerable Cruelty, showcases this charisma perfectly.

He spars with Catherine Zeta-Jones in a sparky manner reminiscent of romantic adversaries from the Forties and Fifties.

Another thing we love about Clooney is that you can't imagine him caring how he looks at the Oscars. You can't even imagine him at the Oscars.

He'd be watching the ceremony at home with his buddies, drinking beer and making fun of the speeches. And if he slipped off any Sexiest Men In The World lists, he would neither notice nor care. He is incredibly stylish, but it's his own style, and his looks have become seasoned. He's ageing well.

Part of ageing well for Clooney is a precise understanding of his fame. He senses the impermanence of it all and has taken steps to ensure that when he is no longer desirable as a romantic lead, he'll be fine. A seminal period was when he made Out Of Sight in 1998 with Steven Soderbergh.

All of a sudden he was no longer Doug Ross, the devilishly roguish doctor from ER - he was elevated to movie star status, mesmeric and iconic.

Since then he's aligned himself closely with Soderbergh, one of the few Hollywood directors whose films are both mainstream and interesting.

This partnership has given Clooney clout and weight. He takes the work seriously, the industry reciprocates, and over the past few years he has taken the opportunity to explore producing and directing.

His choices are always diverse and intriguing, but, in this area in particular, they display unusual risk. As an executive producer he has championed movies as diverse as Far From Heaven and Welcome To Collinwood and, in 2000, he exec-produced Stephen Frears' black and white TV movie Fail Safe, a remake of a 1964 Sidney Lumet sci-fi drama about a mistake that nearly causes nuclear war between the US and Soviet Union.

His willingness to expand the boundaries of television is evident with his latest project with Soderbergh, K Street. This is an experimental TV show that mixes documentary with fiction and fuses them into a political drama that leaves you wondering: was that real? In between projects, he'll make movies like Ocean's Twelve (due out in 2004) so he has room to get less commercial projects out there.

But these mechanics are all beside the point. The point is, Clooney is having fun, and this comes through in his films. You get the sense there is nowhere else he'd rather be. He works because he wants to - not because he has to.

Despite his talents and power, Clooney is not threatening in any way. Even when he speaks out about the media or Hollywood in general it comes across as solid and heartfelt. It may not be the popular view, it may not even be particularly profound, but he stands up and speaks his mind and this counts for something.

Public perception is everything and he seems not to care what people think of him.

George Clooney is at ease with who and where he is. He is an American actor who could be European in both his attitude and his lifestyle. He has the house on Lake Como, the affinity for wine and for women.

If he has insecurities he keeps them to himself. And if he ends up in the tabloids it's usually due to his notorious love life.

Unable to settle down! Afraid of commitment! This is what plagues him. The problems he has are those you'd have. If you were impossibly handsome, playful, wealthy, commitmentfree - and deliriously happy, that is.

Intolerable Cruelty opens Fri 24 Oct.

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