George Clooney: Twitter is stupid and stars using it are morons

Famous people who use Twitter are “morons” and the social networking site is “just stupid”, according to George Clooney.

In an interview for the January issue of Esquire magazine, the actor, film director, producer and screenwriter also said stars of Hollywood’s “golden era” would have struggled to cope with the demands their successors face today.

A series of celebrities have ended up in legal trouble due to careless tweets. Comedian Alan Davies, Speaker’s wife Sally Bercow and Peaches Geldof have all got into difficulties.

Clooney, said: “I think anyone who is famous is a moron if they’re on Twitter... It’s just stupid.”

The double Oscar winner goes on to describe the pressures modern stars are under, saying: “Not that I’m comparing myself to Clark Gable, or whoever, but they couldn’t survive in this environment... They’d punch the s*** out of some people. It requires a kind of Zen quality.

“There’s a funny thing about fame. You run as fast as you can towards it because it’s everything you want. Not just the fame but what it represents, meaning work, meaning opportunity.

“Then you get there and it’s shocking how immediately you become enveloped in this world that is incredibly restricting ... I haven’t walked in Central Park for 15 years. I’d like to.” The 52-year-old said he still felt surprise at his success, adding: “I’m surprised I don’t live in Kentucky and sell insurance.”

Today Attorney General Dominic Grieve said he will publish guidance on Twitter and other social media to help stop people committing contempt of court by commenting on cases.

Peaches Geldof apologised for tweeting names of mothers whose babies were abused by rock singer Ian Watkins. Davies and Bercow apologised and paid damages over tweets about false claims of child abuse against Conservative peer Lord McAlpine.

The full interview with George Clooney appears in Esquire’s January issue, on sale Thursday December 5 - also available as a digital edition.