WWW- Ellen Barkin has stoked rumors of romance on the set of “Ocean’s 13” by declaring, “Yes, I have f- George Clooney.
“I always heard that George has amazing chemistry with all of his co-stars,” said Barkin, freshly divorced from billionaire Ronald Perelman, at the American Cinematheque tribute to Clooney the other night. “Now I see why. … I’m probably the only one of many actresses to stand up here and admit yes, I have f- George Clooney. I’m very proud of it actually. … If you don’t have chemistry with George Clooney, you need to check your pulse.”
Yesterday, a rep for Barkin insisted the actress “was just goofing around. It was a roast. She was being funny.”
Whatever. At the very least, George knows she’s willing.
Also at the L.A. dinner was Julia Roberts, who told Clooney, “Before I met my husband, you were the best man I ever met. … You’re cute and funny and you do wacky things with shaving cream and Neosporin.” Before anyone could conjure a picture of George lathering Julia up, she added, “I don’t mean that in a sexy way.”
Salma Hayek warned, “Girls, he’s the best friend you can have. But he’d make a lousy boyfriend.” Hayek didn’t say how she reached that conclusion. Though she did allow, “For a non-Mexican, he makes the best shrimp quesadillas I have had.”
Noah Wyle, Danny DeVito, Catherine Zeta-Jones and other friends tormented Clooney with pictures of his youthful mullet, as well as clips from his old television pilots and bombs like “Batman & Robin” and the “Return of the Killer Tomatoes!”
Carl Reiner hailed Clooney’s impression of Liza Minnelli’s ex-husband David Gest. Don Cheadle said, “No one is more infantile than George. That’s why he doesn’t have any children. He doesn’t want the competition.”
Taped tributes came from Matt Damon, Renee Zellweger, Paul Newman, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Madeleine Albright and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Clooney countered that he had no regrets about his hairstyles or early work. “I do have regrets in my life,” he said. “I regret that Michelle Pfeiffer was married when we did ‘One Fine Day.’ And that Julia and Catherine Zeta-Jones were married, too. Also Matt Damon, but that’s a different story. I’d like a crack at him.”
The show airs on AMC on Dec. 13.