George Clooney Reveals The Most Shocking Part Of His Motorcycle Accident

Those of us who grew up sighing over George Clooney on The Facts of Life and ER — not to mention the scads of movies he has made over the years — may find it hard to believe that he's now old enough to merit an interview in AARP the Magazine. But with his 60th birthday approaching this spring, he consented to sit down for a revealing interview in the newest issue. He tells journalist Joel Stein that he's not fazed by entering a new decade... at least not this one. "Seventy will be more of a shot to the throat," he admits. Nor is he obsessed about the extra couple of lines on his still-boyish face; he insists, "I've never worn makeup in my life," and says he cuts his own hair with a Flowbee. On the other hand, he was a little taken aback during the editing of his newest film, The Midnight Sky, after he was informed that staff over age 50 should work from home to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In all honesty, though, it's a wonder that Clooney is here to give interviews at all. In 2018, he was riding a motorcycle on the Italian island of Sardinia when a driver cut in front of him, sending the actor flying so violently that he smacked his head on the windshield and lost his shoes (per The Hollywood Reporter). Miraculously, he escaped serious injury, but one memory of that accident will stay with the actor forever.

Bystanders to George Clooney's terrifying accident immediately reached for their cell phones... to take pictures of the injured A-lister. "I'm not a cynical guy, but I will always, always remember that moment, because nobody was jumping to go call for help or coming to help," Clooney tells AARP the Magazine. "For them the worst moment of my life was entertainment." He adds that, even if the gawkers were not out to make a quick photo sale to the tabloids, the fascination with capturing dramatic moments on camera has gone too far. "We're living in this world where everybody is trying to make themselves fascinating or important or something. When the reality is: Put that phone down."

Apart from ending his riding for good, the ordeal has made the Ocean's Eleven star more reflective of what might happen beyond this life. "My version of it is that you're taking that one one-hundredth of a pound of energy that disappears when you die and you're jamming it right into the hearts of all the other people you've been close to," Clooney says. He also makes the most of his life now by spending precious time with his 3-year-old twins, writing sweet letters to his wife, Amal, and — perhaps most importantly — not going on social media.