‘Clayton' role ‘resonated' with Clooney

Since George Clooney stepped out of the "ER" corridors seven years ago, his acting resume has been expanding. He's equally good at straight drama ("Syriana"), wacky comedy ("O Brother, Where Art Thou?"), action-adventure ("The Perfect Storm") and something in between ("Ocean's Eleven," etc.) In "Michael Clayton," he plays a fixer -- the guy in a big law firm who takes care of the dirty business the bosses don't want to see, and who becomes embroiled in a corporate case that shakes him up. Clooney's regularly appearing in two to three films per year, has recently become active as a producer and executive producer, and is very involved with humanitarian projects such as dealing with the plight of refugees in Darfur.

Would you call "Michael Clayton" an issue film?

You could take these characters and this story, and you could put it into a medical drama or a government drama. The truth is, this is about flawed individuals, one of whom comes to the realization that he's looking for redemption. We've done these kinds of films for years, and the reason we do them is we do suspect corporate America, and with good reason. They've done some pretty shady things, and have required a whistleblower along the way. This is very real, and that's why it sort of resonated with me.

Did you draw from your passion for human rights as you played the role?

My mother was a mayor, my father ran for Congress, and I've always been involved politically and socially in issues. But that didn't really inform much of what I was doing here. But before we started, I saw some documents - interoffice memos from companies. They would be from one department to another, saying, "If you recall this, it's gonna cost you $300 million. And if you don't, you'll kill 300 people a year, and the class-action suit will cost $300,000 and you'll save this many people's lives." Those were real documents, and they informed me how I would play the part.

Did playing Michael Clayton change you in any way?

You're hoping you're growing as an actor every time, but probably not, unfortunately. You just sort of make an effort. The funny thing is, you can be good in films if you have a good script and a good director, but you can be really bad in films otherwise. I've seen actors improve on things, but ultimately, if you don't have a good director and a good script, there's nothing you can do.

Do you find yourself making many changes off the page?

I believe I didn't veer from a single word in the script this time. When a script is really well-written, it's actually very easy. The hard part is when they're not written well, you have to try to find ways to make it work. You have to make up things, or fill in little bits and pieces. I tried to really say this one as written. I've had the experience a few times; I had it with Scott Frank in "Out of Sight," I had it with Joel and Ethan [Coen] in "O Brother."

Is it true that you took a pay cut to do this role?

Out of the last eight films, I've been paid for two. You do the movies you do, the rest of them you do for as little as possible, because you want to get the movies made. It's not like you're gonna get rich off "The Good German" or "Syriana." That's OK. I'm doing all right. I'm doing fine (laughs).

You've been seen around town with Sarah Larson. Could you say anything about her?

(stops laughing) Oh, come on, have you ever known me to talk about my personal life? Next question please.

What was your job as producer on this film?

It's the producers who actually do all the hard work. I'm the executive producer. My job was, whatever the filmmakers' vision was, to make sure that it got realized in whatever way possible. I knock down the roadblocks.

We have a celebrity-obsessed culture. Does that affect the way you pick a part?

Movie stars don't really exist anymore. They sort of stopped with the advent of television. Movies stars - Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Bogart - really basically played themselves in all those movies. There was Laurence Olivier, who played a lot of characters. But we didn't take to him as much as the others. They basically played that same thing, so in a way we're able to break out from that a little more. The unfortunate thing is that we're demystified because they know more about your life because there are so many outlets. But in a way you're sort of set free.

Do you get a lot of scripts about Darfur due to your activism?

Yes, but it's very difficult to be topical in films, because it takes two years for something to happen - to write the script, to shoot it and to get it out. So usually it's a little late by the time it gets out. Unfortunately, it's not late on this one because it's lasted much longer than it should have. But usually you find that preachy movies about anything will be too strident. You find ways to try to deflect and not go directly at it. Unfortunately, most of the scripts you get are very direct, and they're not an entertainment. I find that if you're gonna do that, then do a documentary. If you're gonna make a film, then make it entertaining. Not about Darfur, but do "The Constant Gardener" or do "City of God."

Have any films really affected you?

The film that makes me cry a lot was the premier of "Batman & Robin." (laughs) And there were a couple of moments in "The Peacemaker" that made me cry, too - the beginning and the end.

What's your favorite Brad Pitt movie?

Umm, "Johnny Suede."