Persistence pays. I was busy when they walked the red carpet, but hung out late and was able to get their autographs as they left the theater (click for larger image). George Clooney's sig is below his left leg in the photo and Renee Zellwegger's is across Clooney's right arm/chest.
As one guy in the crowd commented: "[Renee] is hotter than fish grease."
I'm like, what does that even mean? Apparently it's really hot. Think fish fry and remember that this is Kentucky and not Hollywood : )
Live streaming video of George Clooney in Maysville!
I have live streaming video of Downtown Maysville Kentucky, broadcasting all day in anticipation of George Clooney and Rene Zellwegger's red-carpet premiere of Leatherheads tonight (starting at 7pm) at the Washington Opera House. Okay, so right now (6:30 AM) it's just pointing out my window, but as the day progresses I'll be moving it to get a better shot. Tune in and check it out:
It's official. Nick Clooney confirmed on Monday that the Universal Studios film Leatherheads, starring George Clooney, Renee Zellwegger, and The Office's John Krasinki, will be premiering at the Washington Opera House here in Maysville, Kentucky, on March 24th. I doubt I'll be able to get tickets because the place only seats 400, and 75 of those seats are apparently already taken. That's OK, though, because as WKRC reports, George and his co-stars will be hanging around for events the following day (25th) as well. I'm fairly certain I'll run into them considering the Opera House is literally two blocks down the street from where I live. I met George before when he was here for the Rosemary Clooney Festival a few years back, but I'm anxious to see Renee Zellwegger and John Krasinki -- like awesome! For those not familiar with the area, The Washington Opera House is the over 150 year old recently renovated theater we visited in Episode 8 of From Maysville. We're supposed to go back sometime next month for a late-night ghost hunt.
Met George Clooney's dad, decided to stop genocide
My phone cam sucks, but that's Nick Clooney on stage, father of George Clooney. He lives in the next town over so when I heard that he was going to do a presentation on Darfur tonight at the local college, I figured it'd be crazy to pass up the chance to hear him speak. Mr. Clooney is famous in his own right as a journalist, anchorman, game show and American Movie Classics host. He has over 50 years experience in the news business and was the inspiration for his son George to make the movie Good Night and Good Luck, a film about newsman Edward R. Murrow.
A year ago, Nick and George Clooney traveled to Darfur to help raise the profile on this horrible situation that can only be described as genocide. An estimated 3.6 million people have been affected by the crisis with over 400,000 dead since the conflict began. Nick and his son George spent nine days in the region filming a documentary about the horrors refugees face there every moment of their lives. It was crazy to hear the stories they encountered. As just one off-the-wall example, Mr. Clooney was talking about how women were routinely raped as they went to gather firewood. When asked why they sent women to gather firewood instead of the men, considering the dangers, they replied simply that the men would just be killed. What an unfathomable world where one has to choose rape over death just to get firewood.
This is a non-partisan issue. Even Bush is on board. It's not by any means insolvable either. Something I didn't know: a UN resolution allows for UN soldiers to step in and end the conflict. The only hold out is China. Pressure China and this could be over, like yesterday. There are people dying there today, everyday. It's both senseless and fixable.
Here's Nick and George Clooney talking about the documentary:
The Clooneys are incredibly down to earth despite their fortune and fame. You may have heard of the famous singer Rosemary Clooney (who also starred in White Christmas). That's Nick's sister and George's aunt. She died a few years back and shortly after they had a festival in her honor downtown, to which George Clooney paid a visit. I got to meet him and get his autograph. He's a very nice guy in person.
I got to meet Nick Clooney after his Darfur presentation tonight as well, shook his hand, and told him thanks. We were leaving at the same time and he actually held the door open for me. That's pretty cool. As I was returning home, I noticed he was in the other lane and snapped this photo:
I hope it's not too paparazzi of me, but I think it speaks to the man's character that with all the fame in his family, he still drives a Lincoln Continental bought at Northgate Lincoln-Mercury in Cincinnati. That's pretty down to earth. I'm a better man for having met him because I'm now resolved to do what I can to help in the Darfur cause, but I would have been better having met him anyway.
