Bono interviews Clooney
Rock star Bono interviews George Clooney for a Time 100/Anderson Cooper 360 special airing May 1 at 11:00 p.m. ET.
Chuck Hadad
AC360° Producer
My days are never boring as a producer at AC 360’ but my latest assignment definitely goes down in the annals of producer history: shoot Bono interviewing George Clooney. Clooney is being honored by Time magazine as one of the world’s 100 most influential people and Time asked Bono to write the profile. As Time’s partner, we shot the interview and other famous pairings for an upcoming Time 100/Anderson Cooper 360’ Special aptly titled “The World’s Most Influential People.”
While Bono and Clooney are acutely aware of their own fame, it seems to be inversely proportional to the fanfare surrounding both of them. Clooney showed up to the interview solo: no security, no entourage, just a guy in combat boots and a leather jacket. I met him on the street in New York outside of our interview location and joked with him as I lead him to a green room that Bono was looking forward to getting him in the hot seat. I didn’t know it at the time but that was truer than I could have ever imagined.
Bono trailed him by a few minutes in a separate car and while I tried to keep things professional on the outside, on the inside I felt like the 10 year old kid who wore out his tape of U2’s “The Joshua Tree.”
The two stars are good friends and when I showed Bono to the same green room, he began to belt out the Beatles “Hey Jude” on a piano but changed the lyrics to butter up Clooney for the interview: “Hey George, don’t make it bad …”
I left them to catch up and ran out to be sure our crew was ready. As far as productions go, for this one we went all out and were shooting the interview at Rose Theater at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Ten minutes later, Bono and Clooney walked into the theater, introduced themselves to the entire crew and Bono had the closest he came to a diva moment during the entire afternoon. “Could I get a clipboard so we can make this interview official?!” he said with a smile and a wink.
With clipboard in hand, he sat down, I called for quiet on the set and Bono began.
“You recently slept with someone that I have a crush on … tell me about that?” was one of his first questions to George Clooney and it set the tone of their nearly 40 minute interview: although they’re good friends, Bono would leave no stone unturned.
The special airs next Friday at 11 pm ET. Check out the video above for a sneak peak.
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Filed under: 360° Radar • Chuck Hadad • What You Will Be Talking About Today |
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I respct Bono for his work . and u2's music.
Oh please people...just because someone has achieve some form of celebrity does not negate everthing they say or do outside of their particular field of achievement. Many celebs are doing great things for people and the world as a whole.
Get over the "Oh they are celebrities so what they say or do doesn't count!" whinning crap.
Publicity mileage!-but we also know how dangerous it is to tread on a place like Darfur! Maybe we should also give credit to George Clooney on his efforts in sharing himself to the people of Darfur! We have so much sorrows in the world-that seeing a well known public figure amongst us -- is quite uplifting!
Its cool having Bono doing the interview!!! I have time to watch as May 1 is a public holiday! Yesssss- 🙂
This is a joke, kinda like washington,a waste of time and money.
I agree, Clooney isn't one of the most influential people, that is obvious. However he, like Bono, does use his fame as currency for issues like Darfur. That is to be respected.
Jeff...You need to lighten up...it depends on what type of influence we are talking about here....it's all entertainment isn't it
People, look beyond the front door. Think global. Think planet. Think about how we are all connected. The bugs, bees, flowers and trees. Hello. Wake up before it is to late and you have no one else to blame. Keep it real and keep it honest. Come on.....
Thank You Anderson Cooper 350 and TIme 100 for putting these too great men together in the same room. I've loved u2 Since Boy and appreciate Bono more and more each time he tries to bring the issue of Aids in Africa to the eyes of america. I've grown to appreciate George Clooney for his political and humanitrian beliefs and his willingness to put his fame on the line to help other humans in need ie. the people of Darfur. If more people would pay attention to the needs of the helpless and poor people of the world because two famous guys said it was important, more power to them and God Bless Them. I wish more rich and famous people would do what Bono and George Clooney are doing but that will not happen because there are too many people in this world who rather complain about the famous acting like they care instead of joining them in trying to help the less fortunate. Even in this blog people are criticizing each man for caring, why? Image if you can.
Amazingly ridiculous! Who in their right mind comes up with these claims? People like George Cluny and Bono certainly deserve our respect and admiration for trying to influence positive change around the World. But to claim that these people are among the World’s most influential people is absurd.
This is yet another reason why today’s media is losing so much credibility. CNN should know better. Silly and substance less claims like these are something we have come to expect from the good people at The New York Times to do, not CNN.