George Clooney interview

EXCLUSIVE: George Clooney talks to marieclaire.co.uk about his new film Michael Clayton

Hollywood's favourite liberal, George Clooney, 44, returns with the thriller Michael Clayton, in which he stars in the title role ? a morally bankrupt 'fixer' who does all the dirty work for a Manhattan legal firm.

You've made a lot of socially aware films recently, from Good Night, and Good Luck to now, Michael Clayton. Do you feel a responsibility to do this?

It's my job to get those films made - or be bored. I'm always afraid of being 80 years-old and going, 'What was your legacy of films?' You want to try to do some decent films along the way.

Just before Michael Clayton, you also picked up a serious back injury on Syriana. How are you doing with that now?

I'm fine. I just finished a movie [Leatherheads] which I wrote, directed and starred in, where I had to play football every day with a bunch of 21-year-olds. That was pretty stupid, but it turned out alright. I felt OK with it.

At least you got an Oscar for Syriana. How was that experience?

It was an interesting time. The run up to the Oscars, they're actually campaigns where you kiss babies and stuff. You go to all these different events, and you can convince yourself that you're doing it for the film, but in a way you start to feel unclean about yourself.

Do you consider friendship more important than love?

I think friendship is a part of love, they're not mutually exclusive. I have great love for my friends. I have this great group of friends, and they've been so for twenty five years, and I find the older we get, the easier it is to stay close and spend time together. It's a huge part of my life.

Michael Clayton is released on 28 September

To read a review of Michael Clayton click here

To watch George in action in Michael Clayton click here