A big star shines in the East

Clooney & Co. storm Japan to promote their film

By Mariko Fukuyama
CNN.com Writer

TOKYO (CNN) -- George Clooney is the most eligible bachelor in the world now, right? Forget Brad Pitt: He's going to get married sooner or later anyway. Leonardo DiCaprio? He's still too young for wedding bells.

But Clooney? He's the darling of women everywhere. Right?

The American movie star, who plays a fishing-boat captain in "The Perfect Storm," may need to work on his sex appeal here.

Clooney came to Tokyo on Monday to promote his latest film, which already has opened to enthusiastic viewers in the United States and is due to open here this weekend. With him were co-star Mark Wahlberg and director/producer Wolfgang Petersen.

News of their film's weekend debut had arrived long before they had. More than 400 reporters and camera operators showed up to greet the trio when they held a press conference at one of Tokyo's most luxurious hotels. The sheer number overwhelmed Petersen, who's already weathered a tumult of press in the U.S.

"I've never seen so many photographers," Petersen said. "That's amazing."

A TV presence

Part of the response may be because Clooney is not an unknown here. "E.R.," the TV show where he gained fame, is shown in Tokyo weekly.

The movie's promotions also are easy to understand, regardless of what language in which they are played. In them, viewers see Clooney, Wahlberg and lots of water -- visuals anyone can understand.

A few discerning Japanese viewers may recognize Clooney for work preceding "E.R." "I used to come out here (Japan) to do commercials," Clooney told reporters. "I don't remember how much I used to make at that time. I was happy to make a living."

He's also happy to be co-starring with Wahlberg, who shared billing credits with Clooney last year in "Three Kings," an action movie based on the Gulf War. Clooney recommended his friend to play one of the fated fishermen who venture out into the Atlantic Ocean in "Storm," which is based on a true book of the same title by Sebastian Junger.

"I always feel lucky to be working with him," Clooney said. "You guys know him as an up-and-coming movie star. He's tremendous."

But Clooney, alas, may not be as big yet in Japan as he could be, despite his commerical work and TV presence.

"He (Clooney) is not a household name in Japan yet," said Shinsuke Kasai, a well-known TV reporter here. "We know he is popular among women in their late 20s and over, but we are still skeptical about how big he can become among Japanese fans."

Perhaps a storm of viewers will change his stature here.

Thoughts about dangerous jobs led Junger to 'Perfect Storm'
July 4, 42000
Forecasting 'The Perfect Storm'
July 3, 2000
Movie review: 'Perfect Storm,' despite dazzling effects, founders, sinks
June 29, 2000

Mr. Showbiz: George Clooney profile
Mark Walhberg.com
The Perfect Storm Foundation
'The Perfect Storm' movie Web site

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