Clooney: Ohio Roots Influenced ‘Ides Of March’

First Published: October 3, 2011 12:39 PM EDT Credit: WireImage

CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Caption George Clooney arrives at ‘The Descendents’ premiere at The Elgin during the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on September 10, 2011 George Clooney says his Ohio-Kentucky roots and his father’s failed bid for political office influenced his upcoming film, “The Ides of March.”

Clooney tells The Cincinnati Enquirer he decided to film the movie in Cincinnati because he knows it well and thought it would be fun to shoot in his hometown.

The movie is directed by Clooney, who stars as fictional presidential candidate and Pennsylvania Gov. Mike Morris. Co-star Ryan Gosling plays the governor’s idealistic press secretary who learns quickly about dirty politics.

Clooney tells the newspaper that the movie was inspired by his father Nick Clooney’s unsuccessful 2004 run for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District.

George says many of his character’s political views are derived from his father’s work as a columnist for the now-defunct newspaper The Cincinnati Post.

(Copyright 2011 by Associated Press)

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