George Clooney sees career shift ahead

Director and cast member George Clooney (R) poses with co-star Renee Zellweger at the Hollywood premiere of "Leatherheads" at the Grauman's Chinese theatre, on March 31. [Agencies]

Ten years from now, George Clooney reckons people are going to be so sick of seeing him on movie screens that he may give up much of his acting career.

But don't think Clooney, 46, the suave leading man in many blockbusters in a career spanning more than 20 years, is leaving Hollywood anytime soon. He is turning increasingly to directing.

Clooney says he is more successful than he ever dreamed he would be, most recently starring in last year's Oscar-nominated drama "Michael Clayton" and the football comedy "Leatherheads," which he also directed and which opens on Friday.

"Ten years from now, I imagine people will be fairly sick of seeing a lot of us who are on camera now," Clooney told Reuters. "My hope is I'll be directing more. That is my goal."

"Leatherheads," co-starring Renee Zellweger, marks his third film as a director after "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" and "Good Night, and Good Luck."

Clooney said he may begin work on a fourth directing job, tentatively titled "Suburbicon" written by "No Country for Old Men" brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, at the end of this year.

"I like doing it. It's really creative and fun and a place where I want to put most of my focus," Clooney said.

It was roughly 10 years ago when he first read a screenplay for "Leatherheads." he was a popular television actor on hospital drama "ER," but he had suffered through two poorly received movies in "Batman and Robin" and "The Peacemaker."

The turning point came in 1998 with a starring role in drama "Out of Sight," directed by Steven Soderbergh, that won over film critics and moviegoers.