A big payoff for playing politics

By Rachel Abramowitz, Times Staff Writer

December 14, 2005

Forget Limbaugh, O'Reilly and Franken. Who ya' going to call to make politics entertaining? George Clooney, the latest incarnation of the heartthrob-provocateur, now nominated for three Golden Globes, for writing and directing "Good Night, and Good Luck," and for costarring in "Syriana."



On the award he missed: "The one for best dance number, musical.... That's the one I was hoping for."



On why the media fascinates him: "I'm the son of a journalist. We're proud of it, even when it falters a little bit. The idea behind [Edward R.] Murrow's speech in 1958 [is] what everybody's dealing with today, trying to keep the news alive while not letting entertainment push it off the air."



On political movies: "Hollywood is very good at asking questions when we want to. We're not so good at providing the answers because it seems like we're on a soap box when we do that."



On celebrating: "I will be. It's a little early for heavy drinking. I'm Irish, but it's still early."