He’s an A-lister who knows he’s got it all, and isn’t afraid to enjoy it
By Joseph V. Tirella

In “Ocean’s Thirteen” (which opens June 8) there are a few references to guys “who shook Sinatra’s hand” having a certain code. George Clooney is, with a doubt, someone who would have loved to shake Ol’ Blue Eyes’ hand (he never got the chance, though the two did speak once).

In his career, Frank Sinatra wasn’t just a singer who revolutionized American music. He wasn’t just a pop star who became an Oscar-winning actor. Nor was he simply an artist who commanded creative control when most of his contemporaries just did as they were told. For decades Sinatra defined all things cool.

These days Clooney is the closest thing we’ve got to Ol’ Blue Eyes: an A-lister who knows he’s got it all, and isn’t afraid to enjoy it. Here are a few reasons why Clooney is today’s Sinatra.

Hollywood Video Announces Sponsorship of 'David Sheehan's Summer Movie Magic'
Posted : Mon, 04 Jun 2007 17:18:00 GMT

WILSONVILLE, Ore., June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Hollywood Video, a division of Movie Gallery, Inc. is sponsoring the "Summertime DVDs" segment of entertainment reviewer David Sheehan's Summer Movie Magic syndicated TV special, which will air nationwide June 1 through July 8.

The segment, taped at the Hollywood Video store in Burbank, Calif., will feature David Sheehan's five favorite "Summertime DVDs" and will include interviews with major film stars including George Clooney, who stars in The Good German and Ocean's 13, and Clint Eastwood, director of Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima. The show will also feature Sheehan's interviews with other big stars of the summer season including Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Tobey Maguire, Kevin Costner, Nicole Kidman, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Robin Williams, and Brad Pitt.

Stars pay tribute to movie aficionado Leonard Maltin as he hits the 25-year milestone at ET! Our very own film expert, LEONARD MALTIN, is celebrating 25 years with ET, and the stars are all paying tribute to him! Hollywood heartthrob GEORGE CLOONEY and his 'Ocean's Thirteen' co-star MATT DAMON got in a few joky jabs at our famous film critic: "First of all, the beard, it's gotta go," jokes George. "It's time now -- that was like a '70s [style], you know." "Stop with the books," Matt adds. "Nobody reads." "Congratulations," George says, getting somewhat serious. "Happy 75th birthday! God, you don't look a day over 73." [ET Online]

PITT & CLOONEY JOKE ABOUT THELMA & LOUISE ROLE 2007-05-28 01:10:48 - BRAD PITT beat pal and OCEAN'S TWELVE castmate GEORGE CLOONEY to the role of the sexy drifter in hit 'chick flick' THELMA & LOUISE.Both stars, then struggling actors, were up for the role in the 1991 movie and the two friends admit they often laugh about the fact. Clooney jokes, "I'm less angry than I was." And Pitt recently told a U.S. news show Access Hollywood, "I think what was really going on is they were grooming him for Batman." [PR-Inside]

When George Clooney and other cast members of "Ocean's Thirteen" came onstage to auction off a yacht vacation, Stone promised a bidder: "If you put up $350,000, George will kiss you." Clooney went through with it, and he and Stone sold two yacht vacations instead of one for a total of $700,000. [indystar]

THE THINGS THEY SAY:
25 May 2007
World Entertainment News Network

May 24, 2007 (WENN via COMTEX) -- "I work in cinema because I am a fan of films of all different kinds. We work on entertainment and smaller films we feel passionate about - except MATT (DAMON), he doesn't care." GEORGE CLOONEY jokes about his OCEAN'S THIRTEEN co-star's habit of picking blockbuster parts

George Clooney, Bruce Willis and Bjorn Borg have been summoned to appear at the trial into the murder of a wealthy British aristocrat.
Former nightclub hostess Jamila M’Barek is accused of plotting to kill her husband, the 10th Earl of Shaftesbury, to get her hands on his fortune. But according to legal documents seen by The Mail on Sunday, she will this week claim in a French court that before meeting the aristocrat she was a well connected millionairess in her own right, with a string of famous and powerful lovers. But none of the stars say they will appear on the stand to back Jamila’s extraordinary claims and the court has no powers to force them to do so. [Read More]

Man and boy: If George Clooney is to be the new Cary Grant, says David Thomson, he'd better stop being so pleased with himself and leave the Vegas romps behind
David Thomson [The Guardian]

We all love movie stars, and the very idea of them. But sometimes we get the notion that it is harder to be a "true star" now than it was once upon a time. We may note that Katharine Hepburn, Barbara Stanwyck, Laurence Olivier and John Wayne were all born in 1907. Take the first decade of the 20th century, and nearly every "great star" was born in that span. Why should that be? And, more especially, if it is a provable fact and an observable condition, what has happened to movie stars now? Is it possible, as this paper suggested to me, that George Clooney is the new Cary Grant?

George has this to say about Walter Cronkite. The iconic newsman’s colleagues and friends will celebrate his professional and personal lives in a one-hour primetime special to be broadcast Friday, May 18 (8 p.m.ET/PT), on the CBS Television Network.

• "He changed the history of the war overnight because it was, for that time period in general, a young person’s protest. And it became everyone else’s wrong war at that point," Clooney said.
• Clooney adds, "Every once in awhile, you get someone who is the exact right person at the exact right moment. In fact, I think we were just very lucky that it happened to be him."

VIPs Attending the Harvard Business School Leadership Awards Gala are in for a Special Treat 
Attendees of This Exclusive Party Will Receive Special Gifts Courtesy of Harvard Business School Alumni of Southern California

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., May 7, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- It's In The Bag (www.itsinthebaginc.com) announced today that the VIPs attending the Harvard Business School Leadership Awards Gala honoring Sherry Lansing and Alan Horn on May 10, 2007 are in for a very special gift bag full of unique items by the gift bag marketing company. The event will take place at Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. Robin Williams, Rob Reiner, Meg Ryan, Tom Cruise, George Clooney and Clint Eastwood are just a few of the celebrities expected to attend.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "30 Rock" star Tracy Morgan will host Spike TV's inaugural Guys Choice awards show, set to air June 13. The awards, decided on by viewers of the male-skewing cable channel, honor "the things guys love most" in the worlds of sports, music, film, TV and the Internet. The two-hour show also will feature tributes to veteran entertainers and rockers and include stand-up comedy and musical performances. It will tape June 9 at CBS Studio Center in Studio City, Calif. Each category features only two nominees, so it can be settled "mano a mano," Spike says. Nominees include Beyonce vs. Adriana Lima for hottest girl on the planet, Will Ferrell vs. Sacha Baron Cohen for "funniest M.F." and "The Office's" Rainn Wilson vs. "Heroes"' Masi Oka for coolest geek. In addition, James Gandolfini and George Clooney will vie for the kingpin award for guy of the year. Morgan plays the unpredictable movie star Tracy Jordan on NBC's "30 Rock." The actor-comedian's credits also include NBC's "Saturday Night Live," where he appeared for seven seasons, as well as the feature films "The Longest Yard," "Little Man," "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and "Head of State." [Source]

IT'S PRINCE THRILLS
Wills to party with Pitt and Clooney in Cannes

PRINCE William raved the night away in Ibiza last year... but this year his chosen venue will be the playboy resort of Cannes. With younger brother Harry forced to curb his partying now he's heading off to Iraq, William has been making the most of the spare invites.

Now, hip London nightclub Boujis has asked the 24-year-old prince to be guest of honour at the May 18 opening of their temporary club for the film festival over in France. He will be rubbing shoulders in Cannes with the Hollywood A-list, including Jude Law, who will be promoting My Blueberry Nights, and Brad Pitt and George Clooney, who will be doing a similar thing for Ocean's Thirteen.

Of course, Wills has recently turned rock promoter, personally phoning up pop stars and film stars to sign them up for the memorial concert for his mother Diana on July 1. So the party at Chateau de la Napoule in Cannes could give him a much-needed contacts-building boost.

Although Take That have already signed on the dotted line for the royal concert, and Kylie Minogue will make an appearance, The Spice Girls are still procrastinating over their decision. However, Wills will have to work the party pretty hard, as his Army commitments mean he will only be able to have one night with the world's film stars. He is due to fly straight from training in Bovington for the party. And the following day is the first FA Cup Final at the new Wembley, which he will attend as president of the Football Association.

"William can't wait - if anyone can make the most of one night in Cannes, it's William," said a close pal.

A spokesman for Clarence House refused to comment on the prince's private plans.
[Source]

IF TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY: You have proven the pundits wrong by managing to break some bad old habits. This year will bring more changes, but with less trouble and toil as you move towards the fulfilment of a grand dream. Happy birthday to George Clooney, 46. [Source]

IF MAY 6 IS YOUR BIRTHDAY: Actor George Clooney (1961) shares your birthday today. Not only are you intelligent, you have a sixth sense about other people. Privately, you have a wonderful imagination. These qualities combine to make you highly sensitive to the world and the people around you. You have high ideals, and you're not afraid to state your opinions. In the coming year, you'll be very focused on partnerships and close friendships. [Source]

Happy Birthday: Don't mess with the wrong people this year. Join forces with people who are trying to make a difference and you can alter your direction and your life goals. There is a lesson to be learned from an older or more experienced person. Your numbers: 13, 18, 27, 39, 41, 47. [Source]

The Q&A
''Huckabees'' Whacks

EW.com Exclusive: George Clooney says that while notorious Web clips of David O. Russell's blowup at Lily Tomlin give context to his own run-in with the director, he condemns posting such material online
CLOONEY Posting this kind of footage online ''falls into the world of screwing with people's careers. I'm up for a good fight, but not sneaky. I like 'em face-to-face.''

Clark Collis is a senior writer for EWDirector David O. Russell's 2004 film I Heart Huckabees is, in large part, a meditation on the quest for spiritual enlightenment. But there was little meditative about two behind-the-scenes clips shot during the film's production that turned up on the Internet last month, showing one of the film's stars, Lily Tomlin, at loggerheads with Russell.

In the more memorable of the two, the director loses his temper with the actress, who is filming a scene with Jason Schwartzman and Dustin Hoffman. ''F--- you!'' he shouts. ''I'm just trying to f---ing help you, do you understand me? I'm being a f---ing collaborator.'' Russell then angrily pushes some papers off the desk behind which Tomlin is sitting and continues: ''I worked on this f---ing thing for three f---ing years not to have some f---ing c--- yell at me in front of the f---ing crew when I'm trying to f---ing help, you bitch.''

After the footage surfaced, a rumor began circulating that its emergence was in some way connected to George Clooney, who had gotten into a physical confrontation with Russell on the set of the 1999 film, Three Kings. Clooney subsequently issued a statement denying responsibility for leaking the footage and offering a $1 million reward to anyone who could prove otherwise.
While being interviewed about the forthcoming Ocean's Thirteen for EW, Clooney answered a couple of questions about the I Heart Huckabees clips.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You've denied leaking the Huckabees footage. But is it possible we will ever see any similar material from Three Kings?
GEORGE CLOONEY: The funny thing is that that tape has been going around for about two and a half years. And everybody's seen it. I saw it when we were shooting Ocean's Twelve. I felt bad for Lily but I also felt a little vindicated for anyone that thought that that had anything to do with me on [Three Kings]. But, you know, the last thing in the world I would have done is stick it on the Internet. I don't even know how to get onto YouTube. So there's not going to be any Three Kings things. There are pranks I like to play [but] that [posting this kind of footage online] falls into the world of screwing with people's careers. I'm up for a good fight, but not sneaky. I like 'em face-to-face.''

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:Do you think this kind of thing is going to happen more and more?
GEORGE CLOONEY: Sure. I just think the Internet is a free-for-all now. Ultimately a lot of crap comes out. There's going to be tons of things. You're going to have someone filming in somebody's hotel and get them when they have Spanktro-vision on and put that on the Internet and that will be a career-ender for somebody. There's gonna be plenty of that going on. Until someone figures out how to tame the wild wild west then I don't really know you can put the genie back in the bottle. Maybe it's good. Maybe it'll make people behave themselves on sets.

(Thanks Nicole for the Headsup!)

Getting her just due
BCPA to host jazz singer Dianne Reeves
By Dan Craft

She's been a queen of the jazz-singing hill for two decades now. But it took an A-list fan's admiration to bring four-time Grammy winner Dianne Reeves to the masses in a really big way. Her admirer: actor-writer-producer-director George Clooney. The occasion: his 2005 one-man movie show, "Good Night, and Good Luck." From the evidence on screen, Clooney clearly knew what he was looking for when he hand-picked Reeves to provide his acclaimed Edward R. Murrow chronicle with its mood-setting aural vibe. His aunt, after all, is the late Rosemary Clooney, one of the great vocal stylists of the '50s, the decade in which his Murrow saga exists. In an interview from her home in Denver, Reeves says that "all the music in the film was selected by George Clooney so that it became part of the storytelling. The thing I loved more than anything about it was that I could deliver my lines just like the actors."

Read complete article at Patagraph.com

Clooney pays $20 at kids' lemonade stand

A group of kids on spring break thought setting up a lemonade stand near George Clooney's movie set might be a good business move. They were right. The star paid $20 for his lemonade, which 10-year-old Carter, 6-year-old Chandler and 5-year-old Chase Fontaine were selling for 25 cents. Clooney made his way over to the lemonade stand Wednesday afternoon after shooting scenes for "Leatherheads," a movie about the early days of professional football that he is directing and acting in. The boys' mother, Courtney Fontaine, offered Clooney the lemonade for free. He had posed for pictures with her and some other women. But Clooney insisted on paying, sending someone over with a $20 bill. Chandler enjoyed telling people afterward that Clooney's representative didn't want any change. Before long, Carter had made another sign that read, "George Clooney was here!" and planted it at the road. The movie, which is being filmed mostly in North and South Carolina, also stars John Krasinski and Renee Zellweger. It has a December release date. (The Columbian) Thanks to Merlin!

Spade on Charity: What Would Clooney Do?
Posted Apr 3rd 2007 12:40PM by TMZ Staff

David Spade gave ten bucks to a homeless guy yesterday -- because of George Clooney. The comedian, surprised to find paparazzi on his Taco Bell run, said that Clooney "is always photographed giving money to homeless people." Spade then flipped through a wad of cash and handed the beggar a $10 bill, saying, "Ten dollars here gets you dinner for a year."

Michael Wolch The final performance in the Canadian Jazz Concerts series was a perfect example of the calibre of talent we have in this country that is often overlooked. Playing to an underwhelming crowd of serious jazz fans, Joel Miller and Mandala put on a clinic in how accessible and exciting modern jazz can be. After a short intermission, the band returned with a couple of new compositions, including one inspired by the recent George Clooney film and aptly entitled Syriana. This was a very rhythmically and harmonically complex piece that found the front horn section dashing in and out of each other with solos, while Gossage and Hollins anchored the beat. (Source: Winnipeg Free Press)