GEORGE CLOONEY - CLOONEY JOKES ABOUT 'BAD WEEK' AT SANTA BARBARA

Oscar-nominee GEORGE CLOONEY was honoured at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Friday (03FEB06), joking the Modern Master Award and his three Academy Awards nominations had capped off "a bad week".

Clooney learned on Tuesday (31JAN06) he was up for three Oscars, including Best Supporting Actor for SYRIANA and Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK, which is up for six gongs in total at the 5 March (06) ceremony.

On Friday, Clooney's career was celebrated by SHARON STONE, film critic LEONARD MALTIN and his Good Night, And Good Luck co-writer GRANT HESLOV at the Santa Barbara, California festival.

Clooney says, "It's a bad week to be me. Yeah, it's been a rough time. But I'll struggle through it. What I'll be doing is a lot of therapy. And I'll be fine.

"This was the place that we brought Confessions (CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND), so I have a soft spot in my heart for (this) festival. They really do embrace very different films here."

After Clooney was celebrated for choosing risky roles, he said, "And when they talk about being brave, I don't think it's brave to make films like these. I'm terrified of not making films like these, and that's the truth. I'm afraid of waking up at 70 years old and saying, 'I'm Batman again.'"