George Clooney has been giving a masterclass in the art of superstardom at the Venice film festival this year. Already a favourite on the Lido, partly because he has a home in Italy, he played the crowds to perfection on Friday evening, signing autographs along a packed red carpet for 30 minutes or so and delaying the world premiere of his latest movie “Michael Clayton”. The film is also a critical hit, tackling the issues of corporate corruption and private greed.

But it was not all smooth sailing for the 46-year-old, who said he was not paid for the new film. He was visibly irritated by a question at the press conference about his affiliation to Nestle, for whom he appears in an advertisement that airs regularly on Italian television with the catch phrase “Nespresso…What Else?” (see picture). The question came up because his film explores the ethics of large corporations, suggesting that they are too willing to abandon them for profit. “I’m not going to apologise to you for trying to make a living once in a while,” he said. “I don’t really have an answer for you on that. It’s sort of an irritating question.” After switching off his mike, he continued to mutter angrily, although sadly for us we couldn’t hear him. Even Clooney’s perfectly groomed feathers, it appears, can be ruffled.