Gorgeous George is out of this world

Hollywood’s leading man is also one of Hollywood’s really nice guys.

Suave, clever, kind, sexy, handsome and talented. These are just some of the words that didn’t appear on my school report card but they’re also the perfect way to describe one of Hollywood’s most stellar names.

George Clooney was plastered all over the telly here in La-La Land because of his new movie, a sci-fi thriller called Gravity, out in the UK on November 8.

He stars opposite Sandra Bullock in Alfonso Cuaron’s smash hit movie, which is being tipped to be the first sci-fi movie to win Best Picture at the next Oscar ceremony again. Sandra will get a Best Actress nod, but don’t rule out Hollywood heartthrob Clooney when it comes to nominations during the coming awards season.

I first met George back when I worked as a TV anchor here in Los Angeles. You never know what you’re going to get with some stars, but I’d heard George was funny and polite. He was. The thing about George is that he’s everything you want him to be to both women and men. He’s charming and good-looking, but he’s also a real bloke’s bloke.

I walked in and he immediately said: “Hi Ross, how are ya?”

Being a consummate professional who’s rarely star-struck, all I could think was that George Clooney knew my name! He went on to be charming and funny and has been like that ever since.

When interviewing some celebrities, it can be a struggle they’re often tired and don’t really want to be there. I was chatting about this with my TV and radio colleague Lorraine Kelly. She reckons George is a bit like Tom Hanks when you interview stars like that, you can see they’ve got a twinkle in their eye. You throw them an odd question from left-field and, to borrow a phrase they use out here in the USA, they just knock it out the park.

I met George on the red carpet last week and I asked him what his secret is when it comes to staying sexy.

“Ross, you gotta drink a lot,” he quipped with a smile.

I then asked him how he copes with doing endless red carpet events and asked daft questions by the likes of me.

He paused for a second and replied: “I drink a lot.”

George is heavily involved in charities but, unlike a lot of famous faces, doesn’t like to publicise it. It emerged recently that he had gotten involved in helping war-torn Sudan. Government forces had been accused of massacring civilians.

It was suggested spy satellites might help keep an eye on the regime there and help civilians escape being killed. Governments around the world can’t use these satellites as it’s against international law but a civilian could. George Clooney got involved and, thanks to him, there’s now five spy satellites keeping track of what’s going on in Sudan. How great is that?

It’s remarkable to think that the guy who got his big break on medical drama ER is now 52. Ask anyone to name the top three movie stars in the world, Clooney’s name would most likely be in there. The other two would probably be Brad Pitt and Tom Hanks.

Those three are all in their 50s and it occurred to me the other day that there doesn’t seem to be anyone coming in to replace them as the next big-name Hollywood actors. Sure, you’ve got Leonardo DiCaprio, but he’s already 38. Some people have tipped Justin Timberlake to be the next big thing, and he might well be. But not on the basis of his new film, the gambling thriller Runner Runner, in which he stars opposite Ben Affleck.

The movie was so bad that I demanded my money back despite seeing it for free!

I really hope Sandra Bullock does go on to get an Oscar for Gravity. I’ve seen it and I can’t recommend it enough. She’s fantastic and looks incredible for a woman who’s going to be 50 next year.