George Clooney is the executive producer on Our Brand Is Crisis, starring his buddy Sandra Bullock. That’s why he’s speaking – he’s doing some promotion for a film he produced but does not star in. That’s also why he’s getting political-type questions too, mostly because the film is about a political manager/strategist who travels to South America to help a presidential candidate get elected. I read some crappy reviews of the film coming out of TIFF, so it’s not surprising that Clooney is trying to step in and rebrand the film a little bit, make it seem more prestigious. During a press conference for the film in Beverly Hills a few days ago, Clooney ended up talking about whether he wants to run for office at some point:
Whether he’ll ever run for office: “I’ve been asked that for almost 20 years now and the answer is just, no. Who would ever want to live like that? I’m friends with a lot of those guys and I just think it’s hell. I commend people who go into public service because it’s such a horrible way to get elected, it’s such a horrible time while you’re in office, it’s more polarized now than arguably since the Civil War in many ways, and I think people will argue over things that they believed in 6 years ago or 8 years ago because it’s not their guy saying it. So, no, I wouldn’t want to be in politics. I have no interest in it… I have every interest in being involved from the outside and trying to get things done that are important to me.”
Many Clooney super-fans believed that the whole reason George married Amal was because she was suitable political-wife material and that marrying her was tantamount to announcing a run for higher office. That always seemed like a weird interpretation of Clooney’s marriage motives though – while Amal is a political force, I can’t really see how her politics would help George in the long-term. Even if Clooney did fancy running for office at some point, years ago, can we all agree that he’s not thinking about it now? Besides, if you’re a Democrat running for office, you have to be pure as Ivory soap and Clooney doesn’t want his past dug up at all.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I believe him, never understood why so many people seemed convinced that’s what he wanted to do. He clearly loves his relaxed, low stress lifestyle. A typical political wife would be white, American, attended prestigious university but has non threatening career, tasteful and not flashy fashion choices, etc. that is not Amal.
I agree everything you said except I find Amal’s fashion choices tasteful, sometimes eccentric or out there but not distasteful.
co-sign. He has it great right now, as a celebrity he can bring attention to causes and voice his opinions off the cuff and there’s no repercussions really. And I agree, Amal’s day job is considered too overshadowing for a political candidate whose day job relies heavily on him just looking pretty.
Can’t say I disagree with him. You would have to be crazy to run for office these days.
I’ll never understand the hype around Clooney.
He was really handsome when he was younger, if you are young yourself – you might not remember. I don’t know how the hype got so out of control, either, though.
Product placement to its finest!!!! Cindy C’s books along with Casamigos bottles everywhere. Well done, team Clooney! So subtle…
These pictures are not from the film promotion. They are from a joint promotion held in Europe a few weeks ago of casamigos and Crawford’s book.
ahhh ha! Thanks, LAK! makes more sense now. Still… Shelf is well organized, lol
Cindy C at her finest, mouth open, t*ts hanging out, keeping it classy for pal Geogre.
I believe this. However, I also believed he would never marry again, and wanted to keep his private life private, which he also said for 20yrs. Basically, he is full of it, and trying to sell his movie. His brand is overhyped crisis now!
@noway – agree with you 100%!
GC got married to be taken SERIOUSLY with a serious seeming wife.
Also he may have been looking for $$$ from her family (rumored online elsewhere) to fund his passion (box office poison) projects.
Wow another “truthful statement”, sounds like he wants to be appointed, GC could not tolerate a campaign.
I think some think he wants to be an Ambassador not a President. I think having a wife in Amal’s line of work may help that.
I think it’s more like this. I think he fancies himself an activist in humanitarian causes and his wife is in alignment with that image.
I once read that he said that he couldn’t run for office because “somewhere, there’s a guy who has a picture of me drinking the bong water.”
That makes sense.
I agree on the ambassadorship.
Didn’t he say that (hell) about getting married?
Exactly! He swore up and down that he would never marry again. Not only was this a rushed union, but suddenly he needed someone with a more “professional” profile after dating all kinds of women? Why? Please.
Should he ever decide to run for any kind of political position, he better be prepared that others will try and dredge up all the dirt on both he, his wife and her questionable family ties. Talk about skeletons and making bad choices? He certainly has that covered and then some.
Have you ever googled A tale of two Georges? Read and it may answer a few questions for you, you can sort the chiff from the chaff because believe me there is some but Georgie boy has a bigger agenda to fill and Amal is merely a tool to help accomplish this.
His ‘marriage’ is an obvious business arrangement. The ferocity with which he has sold his previously private citizen wife to the public proves that. They want to be a power couple. Probably a global one for special interests. One where they get to prance about on a world stage and feel very important.
He would never put himself up for questioning that politics would entail. Anyone who’s ever seen his nasty response to a perfectly reasonable question he was asked about Nestlé shows that underneath the fake friendliness is a greedy, hypocritical man with no genuine humanitarian concern who can’t abide challenge.
Well stated, Viv.
I agree that his sincerity is about as fake as Amug’s face.
What a perfect summary! He probably is dreaming about something similar to Jolie’s UN role, and preferably related to the Middle East. I’m quite sure we will see that happening.Could also be his wife, not him. George already is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a so-called think tank.
Just google and read a tale of two Georges!
OhHellNo!,
Thank you. I Googled that article and knew quite of bit of the information contained in there about George’s wife’s family. But, as for the rest of that extensive piece, wow.
Soros’ face always disturbed me, now I know why. 😉
Never believed the gearing up for a political run angle. His personal past, and probably present, couldn’t bear up to the scrutiny.
I reckon his realising that led to him wanting to front as a King of soft power, and Amal looked to fit the bill as a useful and sellable Consort. Not sure he bargained for her apparent keenest to Queen about and hold separate Court in her own fashion quite so much.
His type of politicking is of the power without accountability or oversight. Unelected meaning unimpeachable. Influence without responsibility.
Not sure it’s working out that well for him but he (and she) seem set to keep trying.
Not a political run, more of an end-run around…
Absolutely. He loves the IDEA of influence, the kind of power that ”comes from behind”- and that was said on purpose 😉 We’ve all seen how he was trying to manipulate former Sony Executive Amy Pascal to ”make” Monuments Men a success. Both flopped;-)
I liked watching Monuments Men. I learned a bit about that time in history, and I was deeply moved by some of the scenes.
I dont get why people think he could run for President ( ok Donald Trump ha ha) but has he ever went to University, been governer etc, no, he is just an actor and a very mediocre one at that. Lets face is if George hadnt his looks and charisma in the old days he would never have been a moviestar, and as he is getting older his looks and charm is fading, he doesnt have the acting or directing talent to keep him at the top. Alot of people seem to think thats why he married Amal, but I never thought it was for that reason. I think it is one of two things 1. to change his image in Hollywood from the aging bachelor who only dated party type girls etc, he was starting to become a joke and I think George likes to think of himself as Mr Serious Hollywood who is trying to save the world. 2. to cover up his real sexuality, which I dont really know is what. I find it very hard to beleive his marriage isnt some kind of setup, it just doesnt ring true to me, there is something behind it and it is benefitting both of them in difffernt ways. Now if George ever did run for anything political we certainly would find out the trruth ab out all these things, wouldnt we.
Now, now . . . why so critical. He’s just a man, and he enjoys what he does. Let it go.
Nothing new. He’s always said this and been adamant about it. I also never got all the people just so sure he was marrying to run for political office. He has always had an intense dislike for what it takes to run and win. And he’s right. It’s so polarizing anymore, no one compromising for the good of the people.
Yes, he has always maintained that he isn’t interested in politics, often joking that he has had too colorful of a past to even consider it.
Sadly, it’s not really that much of a joke. People make too much of someone’s past for most of us to ever run for any kind of office. I have been asked and said no because I refuse to put my family and myself through that kind of hell.