George Clooney: Life Lessons From the Sexiest Man Alive

By George, he still got it.

George Clooney has never lost his sense of humor.

He takes every question and Clooney-izes it. Even inquiries about a future George Jr. are met with a sly smile and his wit.

For years, the press has hounded the A-list movie star and modern day Cary Grant about his lack of marital status and no little Clooney bambinos running around the Lake Como mansion.

"I plan to adopt some of Brad Pitt's kids," he says in his typical deadpan voice.

Curious about George? Clooney arrives for an interview in a grey blazer and striped white dress shirt and dark shorts. His hair is silvery gray and his smile is mischievous even when talking about serious topics.

One of those subjects is his movie "The Ides of March" opening today. A taut political thriller, Clooney stars as a presidential political candidate with secrets.

Clooney is a bit of an open book. Here are a few life lessons I've learned from the Sexiest Man Alive.

ONE: MAKE YOUR WORK COUNT

Clooney could be directing some mindless comedies or silly action films, but he makes his work count.

"I did 'Ides of March' because it's a film about making moral choices. It's not a bad thing to hold a mirror up. There isn't a person you've met who hasn't been faced with certain moral questions," he says. "It's also a fun moral tale. Once you put the politics in, it just amps up all the problems."

TWO: STAY HUMBLE.Clooney is the last one to point to the guy in the mirror as the reason a movie makes an impact. "I'm lucky to work with a great bunch of actors who elevated a project," he says of his "Ides" cast that includes Ryan Gosling and Evan Rachel Wood.

THREE: HE HAS NO PRETENSE

How did Clooney decide to do one of his most critically acclaimed projects, "Up in the Air?" He invited the director to Italy and here's what follows:

"Basically, he threw a script on my dining room table and I said, 'Let's go,'" Clooney recalls. "Then we ate a really great pizza because the pizza in Italy is the best."

FOUR: BE STYLISH, BUT NOT OBSESSED

Ask Clooney for his style tips and he says, "I wax daily."

As for his gorgeous suits, he isn't too precious with them. Clooney is known to invite pals to dinner at his Lake Como manse and then for comic relief jump in the lake…in an Armani suit.

FIVE: CELEBRATE YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS WITH FRIENDS

Clooney is a sure-fire Best Actor Oscar nominee this year for his role in the upcoming film "The Descendants." He won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for "Syriana."

He says the best part of the honor was sharing it.

"It was a thrill and the celebration was out of this world," he says. "I loved calling all my friends and then they called all of their friends. It was a lot of dialing. But then the next day comes and you put down your phone and say, 'Now what?'

"It's not like your carry that Oscar around with you, although I tried and it was very heavy," he says. "It's about going on to the next project and next challenge."

SIX: REMEMBER YOUR FAILURES, TOO

He is frank about his career stumbles. Mention big budget Hollywood films he has starred in such as the 1997 bomb "Batman & Robin" and he says, "I buried the Bat franchise once, thank you very much. I don't have many other franchises I want to bury right now, but we'll see in the future."

SEVEN: EMBRACE AGING

Clooney hurt his back filming "Syriana" a few years ago, but he doesn't sit it out.

"I try to play a little basketball, which is dumb but I miss it. I can't take it to the rack anymore, which is a little frustrating for me. But I never quit. You just take what you got and get out there."

EIGHT: GET INVOLVED

Clooney isn't shy about speaking out and has supported justice in Dafur.

"I could sit in my house in Italy and drink wine and just have a good time. But that's not enough for me," he says. "I like to stick my neck out a bit. It gets me slapped around a bit, but I just have to take it."

"As a celebrity, you don't make politics. But you do bring the cameras," he says. "When you're famous, you realize your job isn't to change things. Your job is to shine a light on good or bad."

NINE: NEVER LOSE YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR

Ask him: George is your Sexiest Man Alive cover on the mantle of your Lake Como home.

"Please. It's directly over my bed," he confides. "The other good part of winning is now I get People Magazine at cost."

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