George Clooney and dad arrested while protesting Sudan violence

Leave it to George Clooney to skip the typical celebrity bad-behavior arrest -- the actor and his father, Nick, were arrested outside the Sudanese Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Friday while participating in a protest against violence in south Sudan.

It's been a very full week for the younger Clooney, who returned from the region Tuesday, testified before Congress on Wednesday as to the "constant drip of fear" in south Sudan before swinging by the White House State Dinner for Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron, then hit the White House on Thursday to urge President Obama to push China to help get relief efforts to the people in south Sudan.

"We found children filled with shrapnel, including a 9-year-old boy who had both hands blown off," he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, according to CNN, referring to Sudanese government officials who have been charged with war crimes as the "greatest war criminals of this century by far."

“What is most striking and most devastating is the absolute vulnerability of a certain group of people,” Clooney said Thursday outside the White House, according to the Washington Post.

Getting arrested by the Secret Service, which protects embassies in D.C., might've seemed like a break -- at least he didn't have to dress up.

Before the arrest, he and the other protesters were warned three times not to cross a police line at the embassy and were then arrested for that misdemeanor offense. Clooney can be seen in MSNBC video before the arrest checking to make sure all the protesters were safe, and then chatting with reporters as he and his father were led off by law enforcement.

Also before the arrest, he'd spoken out about violence in the region, Politics Now reported from D.C.

"They were protesting the violence committed by the government of Sudan on its own innocent men, women and children," Clooney's rep told TMZ. "They were demanding they allow humanitarian aid into the country before it becomes the largest humanitarian crisis in the world."

Among the dozen or so arrested with the Clooneys -- father Nick is a journalist -- were Rep. Jim McGovern, (D-Mass.), Rep. Jim Moran, (D-Va.), NAACP President Ben Jealous; and Rabbi Steve Gutow, president of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs.

Classier than a DUI arrest, no?

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— Christie D'Zurilla
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Photo: George Clooney, left, and his father Nick Clooney are handcuffed outside the Sudanese Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Friday. Credit: Paul J. Richards / AFP / Getty Images

Brad Pitt, George Clooney buddy up for '8' in Los Angeles

Good news, Brad Pitt and George Clooney fans -- the band's back together. Or at least it was on Saturday evening in Los Angeles, where the two stars reunited onstage for the play "8."

Penned by Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black, the YouTube-streamed reading at the Wilshire Ebell Theater charted the proceedings in the federal appeals court hearing that deemed Proposition 8, a state ban on gay marriage, unconstitutional.

"How come no one knew their lines?" joked an adorable Darren Criss, referring to the actors' being "on book," thus qualifying the production as a staged reading. Criss admitted that the performances got him a bit choked up.

Like those of Jamie Lee Curtis and Christine Lahti, playing two married women -- two of the plaintiffs -- whose union was considered void once the proposition passed. Matt Bomer and Matthew Morrison played a male couple who were also plaintiffs.

Pitt loomed large as the judge, hearing arguments from lawyer characters played by Clooney, Martin Sheen and Kevin Bacon, and their witnesses and experts portrayed by the likes of John C. Reilly, Chris Colfer, Yeardley Smith, George Takei and Jesse Tyler Ferguson. 

An after-party in the theater's charming courtyard brought out Ferguson's "Modern Family" family, including Julie Bowen, Eric Stonestreet and Ty Burrell. Kyra Sedgwick came through for Mr. Bacon, and Brad and George stuck close by each other.

Just how we like them. 

(Watch the play in its entirety, below.)

 

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Photo: Brad Pitt and George Clooney at the after-party for "8" in Los Angeles, benefiting the American Foundation for Equal Rights. Credit: Associated Press

Oscars 2012: George Clooney would dig a more diverse academy

George Clooney was as calm as ever walking down the Academy Awards red carpet Sunday, that same charming smile on his face as per usual.

"This is fun because usually it's people who want to have a good time," he said. "This is sort of the Super Bowl of all of the events."

Clooney, up for the two biggest awards of the night -- actor in a leading role for "The Descendants" and adapted screenplay for "The Ides of March," plus "The Descendants" is up for best picture -- said he had the sense it was "going to be a pretty big French night," referring to "The Artist."

PHOTOS: Oscars 2012 red carpet arrivals

"And I'm all right with it, because I really like the film."

Meanwhile, the actor, who has been an academy member since 2006, said he was hopeful the organization would become more diverse.

"That'd be a good idea, don't ya think?" he joked. "I think it represents almost every -- directors in Hollywood, as well. It represents not just Hollywood. You can look at the Senate and it's roughly the same thing. I don't think to diversify is ever a bad idea."

But how does the group actually make change happen?

"It's a tricky thing. I think you'd have to open it up to more, as opposed to trying to kick people out," he said. "Instead of taking their cards away."

 

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Photo: George Clooney and Stacy Keibler on the Oscars red carpet Sunday. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

 

Johnny Depp is America's favorite movie star -- again

Johnny Depp is America's favorite movie star, according to a new poll of 2,237 adults conducted by the polling firm Harris Interactive. It's the second year in a row Depp, who appeared in three movies in 2011, has landed atop the chart.

Depp appeared in "The Rum Diary" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" and loaned his voice to the animated film "Rango." Which is enough to make him the favorite of women; Republicans and independents; Baby Boomers, Gen X-ers and Echo Boomers; Easterners, Midwesterners and Westerners.

Clint Eastwood was tops in the South; George Clooney was a favorite of grandparents and moderates; and Democrats love Denzel Washington.

The rest of the top five are: Clint Eastwood and Denzel Washington tied for No. 2, Tom Hanks and, incredibly, John Wayne. Wayne, who hasn't made a movie or done a talk show or had a messy tabloid breakup since his death in 1979, has been on the Harris list every year since 1994.

And yes, the list was open to both men and women, although only one woman was listed in the Top 10: Sandra Bullock came in at No. 7.

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Photo: Johnny Depp. Credit: Mike Coppola / Getty Images

Five A-list moments from Palm Springs: Clooney, Pitt and more

Why do we love the Palm Springs International Film Festival?  Think of it as famous fish in a barrel — among them Brad Pitt, George Clooney and more.

Far from the luxury enclaves of Los Angeles, some of the brightest stars come together for the annual awards gala and cozy after-party in the desert oasis. Here are our five A-list moments from Saturday's opening fete:

George Clooney meets the French, well, George Clooney: In keeping with our affinity for handsome males, Jean Dujardin caught our eye (and that of the critical mass) for his turn in the well-received "The Artist." The French actor may be a new face for for the U.S. but is quite often referred to as "the George Clooney of France." So what happened when the domestic met the foreign?

PHOTOS: Stars shine at the 2011 Palm Springs International Film Festival

"They met near the talent valet," an onlooker told the Ministry. "They shook hands and complimented one another." In a much more thrilling introduction, Dujardin's "Arist" costar Bérénice Bejo got a kiss from Clooney.

"George gave a kiss to Bérénice, and she lit up! She joked that though she's madly in love with Michel [Hazanavicius, director of "The Artist"], that made it the best night of her life," the witness said.

The potty mouths: The pageantry of these galas can test anyone's boundaries for the appropriate. Thankfully, the Vanguard award winners at PSIFF were the gang from "Young Adult" — far from a warm and cuddly film, the filmmakers gave the night some edge.

Stacy Keibler hits Spike's Video Game Awards (sans Clooney)

In keeping with Spike TV's grand tradition of honoring gamers with world-premiere trailers and hot girls, George Clooney's girlfriend, Stacy Keibler, stepped out Saturday for the network's annual Video Game Awards.

Keibler and her legs-till-Tuesday rolled over in a little black dress to Culver City's Sony Pictures, which has been taken over by the VGAs, with host Zachary Levi and presenters including Brooklyn Decker, Seth Green and LL Cool J.

Prolific TV honcho Mark Burnett served as executive producer this year, boasting impressive effects for the live telecast and a few major guests — including Shigeru Miyamoto, the Nintendo wizard who invented game franchises such as Donkey Kong and the Mario Bros. series. 

Charlie Sheen stopped by to hand out the prize for best first-person shooting game ("Will there be chicks?" he said he asked his agent when approached to present), while rapper the Game cut a slimmed-down figure.

"You know, film is a passive experience. You get swept away by narrative and character," said Casey Patterson, Spike's VP in charge of live events across the board. "But with this market, you get the crazy, Spielberg-level talent writing and creating games — and you can interact within in that.

"It's beyond huge. Call of Duty made $400 million in a day," Patterson added, referring to the most recent release in the popular Modern Warfare franchise. "That's more than 'Avatar.' "

Fanboys Sean William Scott and Jason Biggs dropped by, and we spotted retired wrestler Keibler taking advantage of a night out without George Clooney to catch up with old pals, including Hulk Hogan.

Though it was a gaming fete with some Hollywood peppered on top, the VGAs also boasted a philanthropic angle: For the troops, many of whom have lived a first-person shooting experience that's far from a game, Spike promoted its Hire a Veteran program to place returning soldiers back in the workplace. 

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Photo: Stacy Keibler arrives at Spike TV's Video Game Awards on Dec. 10 in Culver City. Credit: Joe Kohen / Associated Press.

George Clooney, Stacy Keibler hit Cabo for Thanksgiving

George Clooney and Stacy Keibler were spotted south of the border this Thanksgiving.

The star couple jetted down to celeb-fave beach destination Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where they've been hanging with fellow famous pals and enjoying the water.

Well, at least Keibler was hitting the waves, with Clooney recovering from recent elbow surgery. Pictures from Thursday showed a smiling Stacy spending time on a WaveRunner. Clooney was absent from the shots, though we like to imagine him sitting close by in a lounge chair, holding a tropical beverage on the side that's sans sling.

Clooney's longtime vacation pals Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber  reportedly were sunning it up with them, along with newlyweds Scott Stuber and Molly Sims.

The Mexico jaunt will wrap soon as Clooney heads back to Los Angeles for continued promotion of his awards-bait Alexander Payne drama, "The Descendants." 

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Photo: Stacy Keibler and George Clooney arrive at the premiere of Fox Searchlight's "The Descendants" at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills on Nov. 15. Credit: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

  

George Clooney may testify at Berlusconi's 'bunga bunga' trial

Did George Clooney "bunga bunga" with former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi or didn't he?

The "Descendants" star has been added to the list of 214 defense witnesses to be called at Berlusconi's trial on charges that he paid an underage prostitute for sex in 2010. Others on the list include soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo and Clooney's ex-girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis.

According to Moroccan-born exotic dancer Karima el Mahroug (a.k.a. Ruby), the girl Berlusconi is charged with having sex with, Clooney was spotted at one of the ex-prime minister's infamous "bunga bunga" parties. She denies having sex with the 75-year-old politician.

Berlusconi's defense team had approached the star to testify that he was not at the party in question; Clooney has publicly stated he is willing to testify. It wouldn't be Clooney's first trip to an Italian court: He testified last year in a multimillion-dollar fraud trial against defendants accused of creating a clothing line that used his name without his permission.

"I wasn't at the party that I was said to have been at ... ," Clooney told TIME in October. "But I was at another party. I went there to speak about Darfur.... It was an amazing conversation. He took me up to show me his bedroom and the bed that Putin had given him.... It was a very interesting conversation that became a very different evening than anyone thought. 'I have to go.' 'No, where you going? There's gonna be a party!' 'No, I really have to go.'"

Berlusconi's "bunga bunga" sex parties at his villas were notorious for the number of young women roaming around. The parties, along with charges of abuse of power, led the prime minister to step down earlier this month.

Berlusconi's sex trial will resume Dec. 2, but it's unclear when Clooney will appear to testify.

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Photo: George Clooney. Credit: Molly Riley / Reuters

George Clooney to pick up top honor at Palm Springs film festival

George Clooney will take home yet another honor come January: the Chairman's Award, courtesy of the 23rd annual Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Clooney is being honored for his work in "The Descendants," which opened Wednesday, and "The Ides of March," which he directed, acted in, produced and co-wrote.

"George Clooney brings new definition to the word 'star,' " festival chairman Harold Matzner said in a statement announcing the award. "A consummate actor, director, producer and screenwriter, he’s demonstrated that no discipline within the film industry is beyond his reach." Matzner also noted that Clooney's career is "fortunately for all of us who admire him ... still a work in progress."

Ben Affleck took home the chairman's prize in 2011, while other recipients include Dustin Hoffman and Nicole Kidman.

The festival runs Jan. 5-15, with the award gala on Jan. 7.

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Photo: George Clooney and date Stacy Keibler at the premiere of "The Descendants" in Beverly Hills on Tuesday. Photo: Mario Anzuoni / Reuters.

 

'The Descendants': George Clooney is a 'jerkface' (in a good way)

Let it be known that no amount of prestige (think Oscar nominations, humanitarian awards) can keep "The Descendants" star George Clooney from pulling classic practical jokes.

On the Hawaii set of the movie, which is garnering the actor a lot of Oscar buzz, Clooney lived up to his reputation for keeping things light — even though Shailene Woodley, who plays Clooney’s character's daughter in the film, said the shoot didn't present prime pranking opportunities for the actor.

"He was in every scene of the film, he was busy, and we had a 10-year-old on set. It wasn’t an 'Ocean's Eleven' atmosphere," Woodley told Ministry of Gossip on Tuesday at "The Descendants' " L.A. premiere. "But we did get a lot of small practical jokes."

PHOTOS: 'The Descendants' premiere pictures

One time Clooney gave about 20 crew and cast members quite the scare when he fell on his back and feigned sharp pain, said Amara Miller, who plays his character's younger daughter.

"For a second there everyone thought we had lost our star. And then he gets up and he breaks through the crowd [surrounding him], and he walks away giggling," Miller said.

"We all just sit there going, 'You jerkface.' We all fell for it."

Clooney also kept the practical jokes coming with the help of smart phone technology.

"We were filming this scene on a plane — really right, a lot of extras, kind of uncomfortable," costar Nick Krause said. "I hear this noise behind me. I look back and I hear it again, and there's George playing with the fart button on his iPhone."

The young cast members have long-running "ER" to thank for Clooney’s natural ability to make things fun during the shoot.

"I did 'ER' for years where I worked with kids," he said. "I played a pediatrician. So I sort of got the hang of keeping it moving."

How does the actor switch gears from goofy jokes to filming somber scenes?

"When it’s a really well-written script and a really talented director," said Clooney, "it's not so hard."

"The Descendants," directed by Alexander Payne, opened with a limited release Wednesday.

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Photo: Shailene Woodley and George Clooney at the L.A. premiere of "The Descendants" at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Credit: Chris Pizzello / Associated Press.