CNN
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George Clooney has one surefire way to stay out of trouble as a public figure in the age of social media: Stay away from it.
In a profile for The Washington Post published on Friday, the Oscar-winning actor said he manages to avoid much exposure to today’s 24/7 media cycle by not engaging on platforms that he acknowledges ” If I have three drinks there will be a problem.” night.”
He also shared, “I don’t think you can be a star and be available.”
It was part of a larger conversation in which Clooney recognized how some of the movie stars who came before him such as Gregory Peck and Paul Newman – both of whom were friends before they died – served as examples of how to hold themselves in the spotlight.
“It doesn’t mean you can’t be goofy and say stupid things, but it does mean stand up for the things you believe in, carry yourself with a little dignity, said the Ticket to Paradise star. “And they both had a lot of fun about themselves.”
Clooney, who is being honored with Gladys Knight and U2 at the Kennedy Center this month, remains active in humanitarian efforts in addition to his pursuits as an actor, producer and director.
Ethan Hawke, who directed Clooney’s voice role as Newman in this year’s HBO documentary “The Last Movie Stars,” finds it no surprise he’s receiving such a coveted honor. (CNN and HBO Max are both part of the same parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.)
“It’s interesting that he’s getting the Kennedy Center Honors this year because Newman got it too. He fits a long line of really responsible artists, people who contribute to American culture and are civic leaders,” Hawke told the Post. “Whether you like George’s politics, or admire where he puts his money and time, you have to admire his desire to lead and his desire to care.”
Steven Soderbergh, whose 1998 masterpiece “Out of Sight” starred Clooney alongside Jennifer Lopez, said the actor is unique in not caring that his politics might compromise his reach of stardom .
“The default mode doesn’t really get you to a place of thinking about fairness, or defending people who can’t defend themselves. It’s great when people use that juice for those purposes.” But it doesn’t flow that way,” Soderbergh said of Clooney’s efforts with human rights lawyer wife Amal through his Clooney Foundation for Justice.
“The current flows in the direction of self-orientation and you are in a mode of extracting whatever you can from this business, and whatever you can extract from the world at large. … He is one of the few There is one that punches upwards. It is rare.
Clooney will be featured as part of the Kennedy Center Honors on December 28 at 8 p.m. on CBS.