Clooney: Ohio roots influenced 'Ides of March'

[October 03, 2011]  CINCINNATI (AP) -- George Clooney says his Ohio-Kentucky roots and his father's failed bid for political office influenced his upcoming film, "The Ides of March."

Clooney tells The Cincinnati Enquirer (http://bit.ly/qx6daD) he decided to film the movie in Cincinnati because he knows it well and thought it would be fun to shoot in his hometown.

The movie is directed by Clooney, who stars as fictional presidential candidate and Pennsylvania Gov. Mike Morris. Co-star Ryan Gosling plays the governor's idealistic press secretary who learns quickly about dirty politics.

Clooney tells the newspaper that the movie was inspired by his father Nick Clooney's unsuccessful 2004 run for Kentucky's 4th Congressional District.

George says many of his character's political views are derived from his father's work as a columnist for the now-defunct newspaper The Cincinnati Post.

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Information from: The Cincinnati Enquirer, http://www.enquirer.com/

[Associated Press]

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