Los Angeles, April 04: Actor and new United Nations Messenger of Peace George Clooney speaks to the media about his recent trip to Darfur at United Nations headquarters, Thursday, January 31, 2008.
Actor George Clooney's work as an activist in Darfur has put him in some very risky situations.
According to reports, Clooney, 46, said he was mugged at gunpoint while going through a checkpoint during a recent trip to southern Sudan.
"There were all these young kids with AK47s," Clooney told British men's magazine Zoo Weekly. "They pointed guns at us and stole what they could. It happens all the time."
Apparently the assailants had no idea that they were attacking one of the world's most famous celebrities, which Clooney jokingly said was because "they don't have great TV out there."
The self-deprecating star also played down his sex-symbol image in the interview, saying "To be honest, being the fantasy guy is dangerous. If people saw me up close, they'd soon change their minds!"
Clooney was named an official UN peace envoy in January. He took on the job of promoting the world body's peacekeeping missions after waging his own campaigns for an end to the 4 1/2-year war in Darfur and for more humanitarian aid for the millions caught up in the conflict.
He is a co-founder of Not on Our Watch, a humanitarian group that focuses global attention on Darfur's people and has raised more than USD 9.3 million for the region.
Bureau Report
