obwat news

George Clooney Speaks...OBWAT Interview Mississippi Clarion-Ledger 7/21/99 It's 1 p.m., and George Clooney has ducked into his set trailer to escape the glare of the torrid Mississippi sun - and a growing crowd of female onlookers. The actor, who is starring in Joel and Ethan Coen's latest comic brainchild, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", has already shaken countless hands and posed for so many pictures one might imagine he's running for office. But Clooney hasn't sojourned south for politics. The 38-year-old actor is here for another odyssey altogether. "The script for O Brother is loosely based on Homer's Odyssey," says Clooney, who at the moment is boasting a later-than-five-o'clock shadow and a subtle mustache. Clooney, who plays Ulysses "Everett" McGill in the film, says the character experiences a journey analogous to that of the classic character, Ulysses. "I read The Odyssey after I read the screenplay, and it was amazing to discover the connections between the two," Clooney says. Clooney adds that the strength of the comedy is not predicated on its connections to the classical work, insisting O Brother's plot stands on its own. Written by comic geniuses Joel and Ethan Coen, the brothers who have made an indelible mark in the independent film world with features such as Raising Arizona, Fargo and The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou? Is the story of three men's odyssey through the Depression-era American South. McGill, a Mississippi chain gang prisoner, is running from the law with former chain mates Delmar (Tim Nelson) and Pete (John Turturro) in hopes of claiming a small fortune - proceeds from an armored car heist - buried on McGill's land. "The humor of this story took me back to Raising Arizona," says a mannerly Clooney, free (for the moment) of his shackles and chains. "I enjoy doing comedy if it's well written, and this script is sidesplittingly funny. Joel and Ethan are just so smart." The Coen's first approached Clooney with the O Brother script while he was in Phoenix working on the upcoming film Three Kings. "I was nearing the end of a very tough five-month shoot, really ready to go home, and Joel and Ethan flew into Phoenix and handed me the script," recalls Clooney, who had never before worked with the highly respected filmmakers. "They told me they'd written it with me in mind and asked me if I'd do it. I said yes without even reading the first page. They both started laughing and asked me if I wanted to read it before agreeing, but I told them that wouldn't be necessary." And the actor - who only this year ended his five-year run on NBC's hit show, ER, in order to focus on his film career - says he is amazed O Brother fell into his lap. " I get about five scripts a week, and that's after a large screening process by two agents and the studio," says Clooney, thumbing through a few screenplays piled on a table in his small kitchen. "And out of those, I rarely get even one really good one," says Clooney. "I've ended up with a great project here." The actor commends the cast and crew of the movie, which has been filmed throughout Mississippi - from the Delta to Vicksburg. And Clooney says the directors have cultivated an amiable environment on the set. "In my mind, these are the greatest directors in the business," says Clooney. "On top of being remarkably good at what they do, they're also really nice people who are very easy to work with. That doesn't happen often in an actor's life." "Most directors insist on doing 15 to 20 takes of a scene. But these guys, because they're so well prepared, they'll do two takes, and that's that. It's unheard of." Clooney, who is wearing a wedding ring for the part, locates three storyboards for the day's scenes, including one in a box car Clooney shares with four hobos and his two chainmates. Lining up the small drawings, Clooney explains how attuned the directors are to every detail. "All movies have storyboards, but on this film, I get detailed sides each morning, like these pages here," Clooney says, pointing to the shrunken pages of the day's dialogue. "Andy every morning, every single shot has already been lined up. These guys are the most prepared professionals I've ever seen." Co-producer John Cameron says Clooney's professionalism is equally laudable. "He's a consumate professional, and I mean that sincerely. He's a tireless worker." Clooney's co-star John Turturro agrees. "George is good at what he does, and he's a really nice person," says Turturro, a favorite of the Coen brothers, who have cast him in several of their films (Barton Fink, The Big Lebowski). An unassuming Clooney, whose baseball throwing sessions during shooting breaks have begun to gather stadium-worthy crowds, says his labors are mere attempts to avoid "screwing up a really great thing." "I pinch myself every day, and I can't believe I'm here working with such a great cast," says Clooney. "I'd never met Holly (Hunter) before, but she's as talented an actress as I'll ever work with, and she's a beautiful, smart lady," he says of the Oscar winning actress (The Piano) who plays Penny Wharvey, Everett's estranged wife. "He (Clooney) walks around and talks to the extras as if he's part of our family," says Richard McDaniel of Vicksburg. "I was in a scene with him, and he was entertaining us with jokes and stories. He's a real showman." Cameron says he can't imagine how many photographs of Clooney are floating around Mississippi. "He's so nice to everyone, rarely turning down an autograph or picture request. Honestly, I don't know if I've ever seen a more gracious actor." "I understand the interest," says Clooney. "I grew up in a small town in Kentucky where they shot a series called Centennial, and I followed Raymond Burr around everywhere he went." "I know what it's like to see someone in person who you've watched on television or seen in the movies, and I don't get upset when people approach me, because I did the same thing," says Clooney, who leaves Jackson this week for four weeks of shooting in L.A. "I've had a great time here in Jackson," says a well tanned Clooney, propping his feet on a counter in his kitchenette. "I've found some great places I can go eat with my friends, watch a ball game, and not feel like a tourist attraction." Nearly an hour has passed since Clooney has had to face the lurking humidity and the ever-present autograph seekers. But wardrobe sends word he's needed on the set. It's time for him to shed his black T-shirt and gray shorts for slightly more conspicuous, wide striped prison garb. Clooney, who pulls off the dreadful horizontal stripes with surprising appeal, smiles as he makes his way to a nearby box car, just another stop on this actor's already successful sojourn.

Nominees for CMA Awards Aug 28, 2001 AP Here are the nominees for the Country Music Association awards. Winners will be announced Nov. 7 at the Grand Ole Opry House Single (award to artist and producer) ``Ain't Nothing 'Bout You'' by Brooks & Dunn, producers Kix Brooks, Ronnie Dunn and Mark Wright ``Born to Fly'' by Sara Evans, producers Paul Worley and Sara Evans ``I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow'' by The Soggy Bottom Boys featuring Dan Tyminski, producer T. Bone Burnett ``I'm Already There'' by Lonestar, producer Dann Huff ``One More Day'' by Diamond Rio, producer Michael D. Clute and Diamond Rio Album (award to artist and producer) ``Born to Fly'' by Sara Evans, producer Paul Worley and Sara Evans ``O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' by James Carter & the Prisoners, Harry Kirby McClintock, Norman Blake, Alison Krauss, First Baptist Church Choir of White House, Tenn., Dub Cornett, Pat Enright, Porter McLister, Tim O'Brien, Maura O'Connell, Sam Phillips, David Rawlings, Gillian Welch, The Soggy Bottom Boys featuring Dan Tyminski, Harley Allen, Chris Thomas King, The Whites, Emmylou Harris, The Peasalls, The Cox Family, John Hartford, Ralph Stanley, Tim Blake Nelson, Fairfield Four, The Stanley Brothers, producer T. Bone Burnett ``Set This Circus Down'' by Tim McGraw, producers Byron Gallimore, James Stroud and Tim McGraw ``Steers & Stripes'' by Brooks & Dunn, producers Kix Brooks, Ronnie Dunn and Mark Wright ``When Somebody Loves You'' by Alan Jackson, producer Keith Stegall

The Stars Discover Some Greasy Kids Stuff July 12, 2001 Fox News Bill McCuddy O Brother, Where Art Thou? was a big hit for the Coen Brothers, and the soundtrack's success has inspired a big summer tour - which is a big hit. So what else can this film take credit for? How about a revival in greasy kid's stuff? That's right. The next Hollywood trend, according to Gentlemen's Quarterly, is that tub of goo on top of George Clooney's head. Uh-huh. Pomade may be the new mousse.You know Jerry Lewis will probably take credit for this - he has been packin' a petroleum 'do for years. Even Ross - David Schwimmer - often looks like he's Friends with the latest trend. But GQ says the real deal - something called Murray's Superior Hair Dressing - is the preferred spread for fashion plates like Brian Setzer and, yes, Leo. DiCaprio is reportedly addicted to the stuff. I guess when your hair is sticking up nobody notices how big your belly has gotten.

'O Brother' is a real clef-hanger! June 18,2001 By Gary Thompson thompsg@phillynews.com THOUGH "MOULIN ROUGE" is grabbing headlines as the movie that revived the musical, that honor may rightly belong to "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" The Coen brothers movie (it screens at the Balcony Bar this evening) played strongly on the art-house circuit last winter and spawned a soundtrack that topped the country charts for months. The album has been on the Billboard 200 for 23 weeks, and sold more than 1 million copies.Of course, it may be stretching things to call "O Brother" a musical. The story follows three Depression-era convicts (George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson) who pose as a country act in order to evade capture. While barnstorming as singers, Clooney's character attempts to set things right with his estranged wife (Holly Hunter) and recover some buried loot. The boys never find the money, but their comical odyssey (based loosely and hilariously on Homer's "The Odyssey") does pay spiritual dividends. And their impromptu recording of "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" becomes a hillbilly hit. Clooney recorded a version of the song that passed muster with T. Bone Burnett - the movie's music supervisor - but Clooney killed it because he wasn't satisfied with the vocal. The voice in the movie (and on the album) belongs to Dan Tyminski. Few songs from the soundtrack album are performed in the movie, making it hard to categorize "O Brother" as a musical or comedy/drama. Whatever you call the movie, the music is sensational, performed by blues and bluegrass artists and singers like Emmylou Harris. Alison Krauss sings "Down to the River to Pray" in a way that would make an atheist kneel. Trivia question answer: The title is derived from Preston Sturges' "Sullivan's Travels," starring Joel McCrea as a Hollywood director who quits his job to walk among the common people, and collects material for a socially conscious work to be called "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"

MTV Movie Awards and George is nominated ! Apr. 24, 2001 The MTV Movie Awards nominations are out and George has been nominated. BEST ON-SCREEN TEAM Tom Hanks , Wilson -- Cast Away Drew Barrymore ,Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu --Charlie's Angels Robert DeNiro ,Ben Stiller - Meet The Parents, George Clooney , Tim Blake Nelson , John Turturro-- O Brother, Where Art Thou? Halle Berry / Hugh Jackman , James Marsden ,Anna Paquin X-Men. Fans Can Vote Online at MTV.com for 2001 Nominees and Suggest Nominations For Four All-New Categories. Ceremony Set to Air June 7 at 9 PM (ET/PT) For a complete list of nominees go to the link below. Click here for complete list

Soggy Bottom Boys Play Carnegie Hall! Move over, Backstreet Boys. America's newest boy-band phenomenon has a criminal record, can't afford fashionable cityfolk duds--and the only thing slick about their pop songs is the Dapper Dan hair pomade that accidentally drips onto their microphones. And to top it all off, they're completely fictional. No, we're not talking about O-Town--Try the Soggy Bottom Boys, George Clooney's crooning jailbird trio from O Brother, Where Art Thou? While the Coen Brothers' quirky film tribute to roots music has been a mild success by box-office standards (it's their best showing yet, but ticket sales have only hit$38.8million), the soundtrack to their loose adaptation of The Odyssey has turned into one of this year's surprise hits, topping the country album charts and creeping its way to platinum status. Despite its odd fit on pop-country radio, stations have been spinning its catchy single, "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow." And, in turn, O Brother's collection of heartfelt bluegrass twang, angelic gospel and foot-stomping folk tunes has sold more than 772,500 copies--all without a major marketing push from its label. The Mercury Nashville disc, produced by T. Bone Burnett and featuring performances by Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch and Dan Tyminski (the gravelly voice behind Clooney's Soggy Bottom Boys), currently sits at number 14 on Billboard's album charts. Its success has left the music industry dumbfounded. "We like to call this a phenomaly--a phenomenon and an anomaly," says Michael Powers, senior v.p. of promotions for Mercury Nashville. "You look at a movie soundtrack that's about music, and it just sort of reacts with people." And now, the Soggy Bottom Boys are getting ready to take their music to the people. Starting with a concert at New York's Carnegie Hall in June, tour organizers have confirmed that O Brother, Where Art Thou? is indeed moving forward with its summer tour plans. An official announcement is expected in the coming weeks and it's still unclear, logistically, which artists from the soundtrack will be able to participate in the tour. (The Hollywood Bowl also was reportedly hoping to schedule a tour stop for the end of September, but no word yet on whether that will happen.) Whatever happens, tour organizers say they hope the O Brother road show will build on music fans' newly discovered appetite for "real" music. "It really is about cultural zeitgeist, and tapping into a collective unconscious," says Janet Billig of Immortal Entertainment, which is producing the tour. "People are just reacting to something that's real." Well, make that real music...from a fake band. Clooney won a Golden Globe as Depression-era slickster criminal Ulysses Everett McGill, who escapes from prison with two partners (John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson) only to end up the biggest-selling fugitive recording artists since Ol' Dirty Bastard. The Coen brothers developed the soundtrack as framework for the movie itself, and O Brother, Where Art Thou? is, at its core, a musical. Much like traditional American folk music inspired O Brother, the idea for a live show came along before the movie hit theaters. Last May, Joel and Ethan Coen staged a sold-out, live benefit concert in Nashville featuring music from the movie. The event was filmed by famed documentarians D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hedgedus, and the end result, Down From the Mountain, is currently hitting the film-festival circuit. When O Brother does go on tour, expect a diverse audience. Jim Rainwater, a manager at Long Beach, California's Fingerprints record store, says the soundtrack, which has consistently ended up in his store's top 10, is selling to more than just "traditional" country fans. "What's funny is that we don't have country at all, and we've sold a ton of 'em," he says. "It's definitely that intelligent, over-30 crowd, and those are the people that are looking for something new. The timing is just right, and it's kind of a new, old thing." It appears the roots-music craze is just getting warmed up. Country artists like Dolly Parton and Iris DeMent are set to appear on the soundtrack to the upcoming Lions Gate film, Songcatcher, which hits record stores May 8. Or, for those not yet willing to give up on mainstream rock, there's always Hayseed Dixie--a bluegrass AC/DC cover band whose guitar-pluckin', fiddle-friendly renditions of "Highway To Hell" and "You Shook Me All Night Long" hit record stores April 17. O Brother, indeed!

Hot Off The Press -- New hardcovers and paperbacks By Bruce Dancis Bee Entertainment Editor "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen (faber and faber, $14 paperback). When director Steven Soderbergh received Academy Award nominations for both "Traffic" and "Erin Brockovich," it was duly noted that he was the first director in film history with two nominations the same year who also had both of his films nominated for best picture.hat was not overlooked by many was that the screenwriters for Soderbergh's films also won Oscar nominations, in different categories. Stephen Gaghan's screenplay for "Traffic" was nominated for best adapted screenplay, where its principal competition would appear to be Ethan and Joel Coen's screenplay for their Depression-era comedy "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Susannah Grant's screenplay for "Erin Brockovich" seems to be a major contender for best original screenplay honors, but it will have to beat out Cameron Crowe's screenplay for "Almost Famous. "Reading these screenplays after seeing the movies definitely deepens one's understanding of the films. In some cases, it also deepens a viewer's appreciation for the contributions of the actor and director. For instance, the profane and brassy repartee of Erin Brockovich comes across as too glib on the page, while when delivered by Julia Roberts, it seems both in character and very funny. Similarly, George Clooney's pontifications as Everett Ulysses McGill in "O Brother," which were clearly intended to be just short of over the top, succeed on screen because of Clooney's sincerity, whereas on the page they occasionally read as if they were overwritten.In the case of "Traffic," however, I came out of the movie theater marveling over Soderbergh's camera work and pacing. But after reading Gaghan's screenplay, I see his achievement more clearly -- there's not a wasted or inappropriate line of dialogue in the movie.These screenplays are part of longstanding series by the publishers. The Newmarket volumes, though it a bit more costly than the faber and faber books, feature better photographs and more illuminating introductions.

Fictional Group's Music Demanded Friday February 23 1:03 AM ET NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Soggy Bottom Boys aren't real, but that hasn't stopped fans from trying to buy their music. ``It's ironic that real life is mirroring the movie,'' said Dan Tyminski, who does the singing for George Clooney in the film ``O Brother, Where Art Thou.'' ``O Brother'' includes the fictional hit ``Man of Constant Sorrow'' by three escaped convicts (Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson), who become famous as the Soggy Bottom Boys. ``People are going into stores asking for the Soggy Bottom Boys, and people are saying, `We're all sold out,''' Tyminski told The Associated Press in an interview. Tyminski, who is a member of the band Alison Krauss & Union Station, said he hopes the soundtrack, released on the Mercury Records label, will spark interest in old-style country music.

We know you've been waiting for news on the critically acclaimed O Brother, Where Art Thou? Soundtrack so here's the current scoop: Check out the new message board on obrothermusic.com! The movie opens this week in over 50 MORE Markets (now it's in almost 700 theaters)...visit www.obrothermusic.com for a listing. (George Clooney won a Golden Globe for his performance!) The Soundtrack was the second biggest selling Internet Album last week thanks to all you fans who logged on and did some e-shopping. Remember, you get an exclusive 3-D screensaver when you buy the CD! Winners are being chosen every WEEK in our wacky TRIVIA CONTEST. If you haven't racked your brain on the 5 questions this week, enter now to win an exclusive Dapper Dan Pomade package (not available anywhere else) Mark your calendar for Tuesday 2/27/01 to tune in as THE LATE SHOW with David Letterman brings you music from "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch will perform "Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby" and The Whites will perform "Keep On The Sunny Side" - two musical performances is a major rarity for the Late Show! Looking for more tidbits on O Brother? Watch as Kimmy Wix gets a "Close Up" 5 minutes with O Brother at http://www.getmusic.com/country/ Take a "First Look" at www.Intertainer.com/dftm where there's a short clip about the documentary by famed filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker. This piece was filmed last May at the historic Ryman Auditorium during a concert of music from the movie. Check out www.music.com for a major promotion later this month with new giveaways! Also watch for free digital downloads from your favorite music sites coming soon: "I'll Fly Away" by Alison and Gillian, and "I Am Weary (Let Me Rest)" by the Cox Family. ". . .O’Brother boasts a glorious soundtrack bursting with old traditionals that will have you heading for the record store as soon as the credits roll." - People ". . .A showcase for outstanding examples of traditional country music that is simple but often deeply stirring. . ." -NY TIMES We're constantly adding new movie and soundtrack reviews to www.obrothermusic.com so visit frequently for updated information and links on the Soundtrack everyone's raving about.

Clooney, Zellweger Nab Golden Globes BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) - George Clooney won best actor in a comedy film for ``O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' and Renee Zellweger of ``Nurse Betty'' won best comedy film actress at the Golden Globes Sunday night. Clooney, who played an escaped chain-gang prisoner in the Depression era South, denied Jim Carrey a third consecutive win in the category. ``I think when you list the names of the actors in this category that you've got to figure I'm going to win this,'' Clooney deadpanned to the audience. Listing his competitors - Carrey, John Cusack, Robert De Niro and Mel Gibson - he cracked: ``What have they done?

Globe trotters January 21,2001 Instyle Magazine With the election and inauguration finally over, the only Chad-talk at the party involved Mr. Lowe, who chatted with his brother, best TV drama actor nominee Rob Lowe. But the evening did have some political undertones. The West Wing won best TV drama and its president, played by Martin Sheen, took home the best TV drama actor trophy. Plus, there was the issue of Hollywood politics. The man in the room who captured quite a bit of attention was John Wells—not so much because he's executive producer of The West Wing—but because he's the president of the Writers Guild of America. Hollywood knows he's about to start negotiations with the major studios in an attempt to stop the looming writer's strike. So stars such as George Clooney (who worked with Wells on ER) went to Wells to discuss strategy.
Even better than a paperweight In the press room, best mini-series actor Brian Dennehy (Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman) and best actor in a comedy film winner George Clooney apparently couldn't wait to get to the after-party. Said Clooney, holding up his Golden Globe, "You know Brian, these things are also flasks." To which Dennehy shot back, "They're not big enough." Clooney later joined Dennehy and other merrymakers at the party's bar.

Dapper city slicker In the film, George Clooney's character, Ulysses Everett McGill, has an unnatural devotion to a particular brand of hair wax, Dapper Dan. Guests of the premiere were given an updated version of the classic pomade, one with a smiling portrait of Clooney on the tin's cover, with a word of advice: Use in moderation.
O brotherly love After the screening, the extended Coen family including cast members, Joel's wife Frances McDormand and friends like Julianna Margulies and Steve Buscemi—moseyed over to the nearby Supper Club for a home-style shindig. After nibbling on southern style comfort food (macaroni and cheese, fried chicken and okra), and admiring cocktail tables made to resemble Dapper Dan hair-pomade tins, guests were treated to live bluegrass music from the film's soundtrack. The high-light came when The Soggy Bottom Boys themselves took the stage. "Tim's a very good singer," said Turturro of the trio's front man, Nelson. "And George and I are good fans of his. We'll be dancing behind him."

George Clooney just a home boy LOUIS B. HOBSON Hollywood -- George Clooney had the opportunity to revisit his old Kentucky home. In the screwball comedy O Brother, Where Art Thou? Clooney plays a smooth-talking Depression-Era petty criminal who hails from the Deep South. Clooney didn't have to look far for inspiration for his character. "I don't just know this guy. I am this guy. I grew up in a little town in Kentucky," recalls Clooney. "I moved out when I was 21 because I had to get to the city. I had to get out. I really rebelled against country music and all that. I was listening to Led Zeppelin. I didn't want to be a part of the image or the lifestyle." Clooney says his grandmother and uncles still live in his home town of Perryville. When he got offered the role in O Brother, he sent a copy of the screenplay to his Uncle Jack Warren who is a tobacco farmer in Danville, Ky. "I asked him to read all my lines on a tape recorder and send them back. I basically played my Uncle Jack. I gave him a credit at the end of the movie." Clooney also flew his uncle, aunt and grandmother into New York for the film's premiere. "Uncle Jack had never been on a plane. I had them picked up at the airport in a stretch limo. I gave them the real star treatment."

Clooney's Hair Suffered in Movie January 13 Los Angeles(AP) - For George Clooney, acting in the new comedy ``O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' was a slick experience - in more ways than one. Clooney said his trademark salt-and-pepper hair suffered from the excessive amounts of pomade worn by his character, a Depression-era convict on the lam in the Deep South.``It took a lifetime to get that stuff out of my hair,'' the 39-year-old actor told the Daily News of Los Angeles on Friday.``You can imagine, being in Jackson, Miss., in July with the stuff scraped off the top of a canned ham piled in my hair,'' Clooney said. ``My hair was collecting bugs for weeks.''

O Clooney, Who Art Thou? People Magazine Dressed in a royal blue turtleneck and black suit, looks the part of the suave bachelor. Yet as the actor sips a mug of hot water in New York City's Drake Hotel ("I've got to stop with the caffeine or I'm gonna go nuts," he says, pretending to have the jitters from the several cups of java and tea he's already consumed), he scoffs at the very image which helped to name him one of PEOPLE's Most Eligible Bachelors 2000. "I think I'm very debonair, don't you?" he asks sarcastically. Clooney, 39, shrugs off the media attention paid to his good looks and style. "If you're a single guy and you're in the business I'm in, much gets made of it and then it kind of becomes a thing for a while and then it isn't," he says. "Sometimes it's embarrassing."
Luckily his starring role in the new film O Brother, Where Art Thou? -- for which he's been nominated for a Best Actor Golden Globe -- takes the attention off Clooney's physical gifts and places it firmly on his gift for physical comedy. He plays a Depression-era convict who escapes from a chain gang in Mississippi with two other felons (and Tim Blake Nelson) in a quest to make his way home to his family. The musical comedy (Clooney, not a great singer, lip-synchs the tunes his character croons) is loosely based on Homer's epic tale The Odyssey and Clooney was the first person filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen wanted for the title role of hairnet-wearing, mustachioed Ulysses Everett McGill. "The part is delicate because it needs a movie star but it also needs a real actor and that's what George brought to it," Joel Coen explains. Brother Ethan agrees: "He has a light touch -- he doesn't hammer anything too hard but he puts it across. It's harder to do than it appears." The Coens say that Clooney was as easy to deal with offscreen as he was on camera. "He's a pleasure, he's continuing our lucky streak of only working with people that we really enjoyed," adds Joel.
Laughing at self Clooney was so excited that he accepted the role before even reading the script. "I couldn't believe how lucky I was that I was gonna basically play Ulysses in The Odyssey. I just thought it was the opportunity of a lifetime and jumped at the chance." Once he did read it, he made an immediate connection with his character: "He's optimistic, he's sort of a leader of his gang and he's not very bright -- I think I can relate to almost all of those things. Actually, it seems perfect," he says with a grin.
Not taking himself too seriously has become Clooney's trademark. After all, the son of dad Nick, a longtime TV personality who hosts the American Movie Classics cable channel, and mom Nina (older sister Ada, 40, is an accountant) grew up using his jovial personality to charm everyone around him. Born in Lexington, Ky., he moved around a lot as a child because of his dad's different TV jobs, then studied theater and broadcasting at Northern Kentucky University. At 21 he left college to head to Hollywood to pursue acting and moved in with his cousin, Miguel Ferrer (son of Clooney's aunt, legendary jazz singer Rosemary Clooney). Success was far from instant. Long before the days of playing heartthrob Dr. Doug Ross on ER, Clooney toiled away on failed TV pilots --15 of them -- and had supporting roles on shows including The Facts of Life and a short-lived sitcom called, ironically, E/R. Launching to TV stardom in 1994 on ER and helping The Perfect Storm gross $180 million so far have been that much sweeter for Clooney after years of dwelling as a struggling actor.
Mystery romance But one aspect of fame he clearly dislikes is questions about his love life. When asked if he's seeing anyone, he shifts around in his seat, sipping more hot water and picking lint from his jacket, and then tries to turn the tables by grilling a reporter about her romantic status. Ultimately, Clooney (whose three-year relationship with French model Céline Balitran ended in 1999) refuses to divulge any information about the subject. He's reportedly dating British model Lisa Snowdon, according to a recent PEOPLE story. Indeed, Clooney's well-known for sharing his eight-bedroom house in the Hollywood Hills with visiting friends. At the moment, he says, he's living alone. But he does have one roommate who's not going anywhere soon -- his 150-pound potbellied pig Max. "He's still there and still fat," Clooney jokes. "But he gets a little nervous around the holiday season because things could go wrong." SERENA KAPPES Copyright © 2000 Time Inc

Coens Foster Brotherly Love in Latest Production New York - Actors may impress when they pick up a foreign skill like playing an instrument or learning a language to inhabit a role. But it's more entertaining to hear about their failed attempts to do it. For example, there's Matt Damon's notorious hardy resistance to long hours of golf training for last summer's The Legend of Bagger Vance; one shoulder injury and several less-than-authentic swings later, Damon described his educational experience thusly: "I learned that I suck and always will."
Not His Aunt Then there's George Clooney, who needs to deliver some knockout singing for the latest from producer-director team Ethan and Joel Coen, O Brother, Where Art Thou? (opening Dec. 22). Clooney plays Ulysses Everett McGill, the charmer leading three escaped chain gang members who also happen to make a great vocal trio. He leads their signature song "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" alongside Coen film veteran John Turturro as the ornery Pete and The Thin Red Line's Tim Blake Nelson as sweet simpleton Delmar. Perhaps thinking singing was in the blood, considering his aunt is the legendary stage singer Rosemary Clooney, Clooney the younger eagerly stepped up to the mike. But he found that he had trouble getting eye contact from anyone in the recording booth when he finished singing. "I think in the back of their minds they knew I wasn't gonna cut it," he recalls. So in the end, professionals were called in. The Coen brothers admit they weren't floored by their star's pipes. "As George himself says, 'I'm not my aunt,'" says Joel. "But his voice isn't bad." It just isn't that...good. But Clooney did discover a talent. "I'm a very good lip-syncher," he says humbly. "Me, Milli Vanilli - all the big ones."
Delta Blues There's plenty of lip-synching (though Nelson did get to keep his voice for one song) in O Brother, a story set in Depression-era Mississippi that highlights much of the period's blues and folk music. The title is a reference to Preston Sturges' 1942 classic Sullivan's Travels, in which a film producer sets out to explore the hobo life in order to make a social drama of the same title. Joel explains, "Ethan said at some point, '[The title's] kind of a cheap joke, but an in-joke."' Ethan adds, laughing, "What's the point of telling a cheap joke if it's obscure?" Another point of reference is Homer's Odyssey, which became an inspiration for the story when the writers realized the focus was about a man (Ulysses) going home. They added a Cyclops in the form of John Goodman as a one-eyed Bible salesman; three Sirens voiced offscreen by country mavens Emmy Lou Harris, Gillian Welch and Allison Krauss; and a Penelope in the form of Holly Hunter as Ulysses' estranged wife.It's a lot to juggle, but the Midwestern brothers known for Fargo and Barton Fink are classically laid-back, according to their actors. "There is never a disagreement," Clooney muses. "They don't really talk very much. Joel will go, 'You know, if you, uh...' and Ethan will go, 'Yeah.' That's sort of it, and you just go, what happened? It's like some sort of tribal ritual from Minnesota."
O Brothers Turturro, who also starred in the Coens' Barton Fink, Miller's Crossing and The Big Lebowski, is used to the fraternal atmosphere. "They do all these crazy movies, but there's something that's really truly healthy about them," he says. "They have a relationship between brothers that's really inspiring in some ways, because you just can't imagine how you could work with your sibling that way." Theoretically, the 46-year-old Joel directs; Ethan, 43, produces; and the two co-write their projects. But the Coens acknowledge that they each have a hand in just about everything, and just didn't want to shake people up by taking dual credit. "The whole idea of brothers co-directing - or anybody co-directing - was probably more freakish [when we started splitting credits] than it is now," Ethan says. The pair isn't afraid to bring in other family members too; Joel's wife Frances McDormand (last seen as the besieged mother in Almost Famous) has been in four of their films, winning an Oscar for 1996's Fargo. And Tim Blake Nelson was just an acquaintance down the street that Joel knew and liked. The Coens had never seen Nelson's few acting appearances, and they knew he was busy directing the upcoming O., a modern-day Othello starring Julia Stiles and Mekhi Phifer. Still, they knew they wanted Nelson to play Delmar - but wanted to ease into the request. Considering Nelson is also a writer whose 1997 film Eye of God drew accolades on the indie film circuit, Joel sent him the script, asking only for "advice." "I thought, what would they want to know from me?" says the terminally self-effacing Nelson. "I don't know what to say." He didn't have to say anything but "yes," as it turned out: Not only was Nelson later offered the part, but the Coens offered to let him bring O onto the Brother set and edit the final cut in his downtime, all on their dime. "For the most part I was thinking, I don't even belong here. I'm so lucky," Nelson says of his experience during filming. But the motley threesome became fast friends. "When you're chained together and it's 110 degrees and somebody's stomach is upset and you're running through cornfields and jumping up and down and chasing chickens, you get to know each other pretty well," Turturro elaborates. The Coens say their next picture will be a "noir murder story" set in L.A. featuring McDormand and Sopranos star James Gandolfini. Though none of the three Brother actors is attached, they say they would love to work with the Coens again. No one mentions any singing, though. Foxnews.com

TIME's critics tell you what to hit or miss at the multiplex this holiday season O Brother, Where Art Thou? Starring: George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman Director: Joel Coen Opens: Dec. 22 Three cons (Clooney, Turturro and Nelson) are on the lam in '30s Mississippi. A blind prophet intones, "You shall see a cow on top of a cotton bale, and many other startlements." Startlements are indeed in store: a one-eyed, toad-squishing salesman (Goodman); three maidens washing their laundry in a stream. These, and the name of the bombastic schemer Clooney plays - Everett Ulysses McGill - should be sufficient clues to identify the film's source: "based on The Odyssey by Homer." While tout Hollywood purloins comic books for its scenarios, Joel and Ethan Coen raid noble antiquity: not just Homer's fabulous travelog in verse but Preston Sturges' "Sullivan's Travels" (for the movie's title) and MGM's "The Wizard of Oz" (for a delirious production number starring the Ku Klux Klan). Toss in enough gorgeous bluegrass music to make the movie's CD a must-have, and you have prime, picaresque entertainment. It celebrates the chicanery of the human spirit, the love of raillery and rodomontade. But don't ask us for reasons; we just liked it. As Clooney, who never radiated more star quality, opines: "It's a fool that looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart." - R.C.

Home Join the fun