Clooney attends Kentucky film premiere

MAYSVILLE, Ky., March 25 (UPI) -- Hollywood actor George Clooney reportedly returned to his native Kentucky for the premiere of his new film "Leatherheads" at the Washington Opera House.

The Louisville Courier-Journal said Clooney stopped to sign autographs for fans who waited in the bitter cold to catch a glimpse of the Oscar-winning heartthrob at the Maysville premiere.

"I'm just like them. I just happen to be a little more famous," Clooney told the newspaper.

Clooney grew up in nearby Augusta, but both his father Nick and his aunt, the late singer Rosemary Clooney, were born in Maysville.

West Second Street was papered with "Leatherheads" posters and Mayor David Cartmell estimated a third of the town turned out for the event, the Courier-Journal said.

"They really are family," Clooney said of his Kentucky fans. "If you're from a small town, you don't really ever shake that. It's the best support system and they're always the biggest critics, which is kind of the fun of it. It was a huge part of my life, this town."

In addition to starring in the 1920s-set football comedy, Clooney also directed it. His co-star Renee Zellweger attended the Maysville premiere, as well.