Leatherheads: Salisbury NC Press Conference

Remember the Whistle Stop tour George did for the movie Leatherheads? Remember that hat?  He and Renee hit the road to promote the movie Leatherheads.  One of the stops was in Salisbury NC where Clooney Unlimited Reader and Sampson Independent Reporter Katie had the opportunity to join the press corp during the conference.  But that’s not the best part… she was chosen to present a question to George during that conference and here’s her story.  Thanks Katie for providing your account and the two great pictures from the day.  One being of Grant Heslov who had until now stayed unnoticed.

Credit and Copyright to Sampson Independent Newspaper

As I said before, I am a huge fan of George Clooney, and when he came to Salisbury last year, I was one small part of that day. Fortunately, as a member of the press (I write for the Sampson Independent), I was granted the privilege of being part of the press conference. I remember when I initially heard that he would be coming to the area. I literally screamed for joy, and I was at work at the time, which made my boss think I was just a little bit crazy. But, as soon as she heard that he was going to be in North Carolina, she told me that I should try to get a press pass. At first, I thought, “Oh, I couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t know what to say.” But, the next day, I talked my assistant editor, Doug, who knew that I am a huge fan, and he told me to go for it. He said, “You will never know what he is really like, unless you go.” I told him that I wouldn’t even begin to know how to get a press pass. He said, “do you want me to call? I will call for you.”

So then, he got on the phone to call Rosenfield’s office, Bryan Lourd’s office, and he even called Smokehouse to try and get information about the press conference. Well, in a matter of a few hours, Doug told me that he got through to a woman with a publicity group in Atlanta that was handling the event. And, that is when he told me that I would actually get to meet George Clooney. I believe at that point, my eyes rolled to the back of my head and I screamed with joy. Doug swears that it was priceless just to see the look on my face when I realized that I was going to meet Clooney.

Within the next week, I prepared for the event by coming up with possible questions to ask. I wrote down questions about the screenplay to how did he like filming in North Carolina.

Then, my editor informed me that the publicity company wanted me to attend an advanced screening of the film prior to the press conference, which I happily did. I had the choice of a screening in Raleigh or Charlotte. I chose the one in Raleigh because it was closer to my hometown, Clinton. My mother went to the film with me. We both enjoyed it quite a bit, of course, I was still experiencing the euphoria that came from the knowledge that I was going to meet George. The only thing that really scared me was the fear that he may not be what he seems to be on television. I was afraid he would be mean or just not personable. As you probably know, my fears did not come to fruition. He was awesome.

Anyway, on the night before the press conference, I could not sleep. I literally only got about an hour’s sleep the night before. It was just that intense.

I drove to Salisbury that morning and arrived at about 7:30 a.m. for a 10:30 press conference. Hey, I wanted to be there more than anything at this point. I was definitely a happy camper.

When I got there, I was the first media person to arrive. A policeman in the area approached me and asked if I had press pass. I showed him my press pass and parking pass. He seemed to think I was not being truthful because my pass was not in color. So, he asked me to leave the area. With this, pure sadness fell upon my face, and I politely asked the policeman to please talk to someone else to help. He happily did, I was home safe at this point.

At the event, I got a T-shirt, a calender and some other things. They fed us, but I couldn’t eat even if I wanted to. We waited in the lobby of the train station for a few hours. I was determined that I was going to have a front row seat to ask a question. But, at one point, the event coordinators asked us to go outside and stand around and wait for George and Renee out there. At about 12 noon, they arrived with bright smiles on their faces. For about an hour, George and Renee signed autographs, but I unfortunately did not get one. Hey, that is the price you pay for being in the media. You can’t act like a fan, even if you want to.

I told one reporter that my favorite part of the day was waiting around while they signed autographs because it showed me that George really does care about his fans enough to spend time with them. I kind of wished I was one of the mass of fans that day, hundreds were there, because they got the autograph that I wanted.

Credit and Copyright Sampson Independent Newspaper

It was during this time of waiting that I saw Grant Heslov standing in a corner talking to some film commission executives. As a member, I was cornered off. So, when I saw Heslov, I tried to exit the media square. Of course, I abided by the rules by staying put. I asked one blond headed lady if I could speak to Mr. Heslov, and she said, “I don’t know who that is?” Surprised, I began to describe him. The young lady asked someone else, and they politely told me “no.” So, I didn’t push it. I considered just yelling out, “Hey there Grant Heslov,” but I was really afraid they were going to ask me to leave. Besides, everyone else was watching George Clooney’s backside as he signed autographs. I just didn’t want to rock the boat. Besides, I didn’t want to embarrass myself or my paper.

After the hour of waiting, George and Renee entered the train station. The first question went to the local paper, then it went to a local television station, the third went to another paper, and then I raised my hand to get my chance to talk to Mr. Clooney. They finally handed me the microphone, and I spoke my first words to him. I said, “Hi, I’m Katie Holland from the Sampson Independent, and my question for Mr. Clooney is, “Do you think the box office receipts will be affected by the fact that the film is not coming out during football season?” I wanted to ask a smart question. He looked at me and said, “No, I don’t think it will affect it.” He then talked about why he asked for a delay in the release. He even mentioned his motorcycle accident and Michael Clayton coming out.

Then, he talked to more press for about 15 more minutes, and he left, and I didn’t get my autograph. Plus, his first word that he ever said to me was “no.” At least I can laugh about it.

Then, I walked out of the building and saw a line of black SUV’s leaving property with George’s head sticking out of one of them. And, that was the last I saw of him during my visit.

I then drove back to Clinton with a lifetime of good memories. My only regret was I didn’t get my autograph or I didn’t get to tell Grant Heslov hello. I should have just waived at him. I bet he would have come over.

Exclusive to Clooney Unlimited. Please do not repost or redistribute either the picture or article to any other sites per the request of the Sampson Independent and author.

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