THE cellphone rang on a recent afternoon, displaying an unfamiliar 818 number.
"Hello," said the voice on the other end. "It's George Clooney."
Usually, when an actor calls a reporter, it's to promote a film. But Clooney had more serious matters on his mind.
He wanted to discuss two subjects: American presidential politics (he's supporting Sen. Barack Obama in his bid for the Democratic nomination in 2008) and the conflict raging in Darfur, a region in western Sudan where more than 450,000 people have been killed in an ethnic cleansing campaign that President George W. Bush recently declared a genocide.
Clooney, who has become one of his generation's most politically active stars, has been weighing his options on the presidential front. He would love to campaign for Obama -- he's a fan and a friend of the politician, whom he met at a Darfur rally two years ago -- but he's worried that his support could be used against the senator. He knows that not everyone in America wants to know where celebrities stand on politics. The Oscar-winning actor witnessed it firsthand when his father, Nick Clooney, ran for Congress as a Democrat in the family's home state of Kentucky in 2004.
"It became an issue of Hollywood versus the heartland," Clooney said. His father ultimately lost, and it makes George reticent. "I don't want to be a hindrance, you know?"
Clooney's efforts mark a certain coming of age, as the 46-year-old actor/director/screenwriter tries to move beyond the glitter of Hollywood to find his true voice. It also comes with realizing the power -- and the limitations -- of stardom, knowing when to push and when to hold back.
Clooney has no such reservations about Darfur. "If celebrity is a credit card, then I'm using it," Clooney said. "I knew I had to shine light on this situation."
His efforts to raise awareness about the war there have gained him the respect of his Hollywood elders.
"So amazing to see these young guys get involved and grow," legendary music producer Quincy Jones said in an interview last week. "That's how we are supposed to live our lives. In the beginning, we do the quest for survival and materialism. And then you realize you have to get outside yourself, give something that will outlive you."
The actor has been to the United Nations, twice. He's traveled with actor Don Cheadle and Olympians Joey Cheek and Tegla Loroupe on a diplomatic mission to China and Egypt, where they pressed officials to use their power to intervene in Sudan. He has a team of advisors (young, hip former members of President Bill Clinton's State Department). They keep him constantly informed on the developments in Darfur as well as in other parts of Africa.
Recently, he formed a foundation -- along with "Ocean's Thirteen" costars Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Cheadle -- to assist the victims of the Darfur conflict. The actors held a fundraiser for their foundation on a yacht at the Cannes Film Festival last month. They took in more than $9 million in one night.
After returning to America, they decided to capitalize on Hollywood's favorite ritual: the movie premiere. They agreed to open "Ocean's Thirteen" with a screening and a party in Las Vegas and Chicago two weeks ago. But it came with a caveat: Anyone could attend, but everyone had pony up some cash to get in; two people gave $250,000 in Vegas. By premiere night at Las Vegas' annual film festival, CineVegas, $1 million had been raised.
"We made phone calls, we sent out notices, we opened up a second theater," said festival President Robin Greenspan. "People would say, 'That's great. We'd love to give.' And then they would ask, 'What's Darfur?' That's when we realized we definitely had to do this."
Pitt said in an interview outside the Las Vegas premiere that the effort is "all about generating the will."
"That's the thing about the American people," he said. "There's great empathy and ingenuity when they understand something.... The bigger question is, what is the climate that allows these things to exist and continue?
"I'm hoping there will come a time when this does not exist. But it's going to take a global effort."
Of course, some people reject the effort because they don't take actors seriously. Conservatives question Hollywood's decidedly liberal politics and motivation for getting involved. But Clooney isn't slowed down by cynicism or criticism.
"I think every individual I know can make a difference," he said. "I certainly don't like the idea of not trying."
A life in politics
In many ways, the ever-confident Clooney is a natural politician. "He looks presidential," his publicist, Stan Rosenfield, recently remarked.
But don't get any ideas. Clooney has no intention of running for office. He simply loves the game.
