It’s a role worth its weight in gold

Nicole Kidman gave George Clooney a hard time when they teamed to prevent nuclear terrorism in the 1997 action thriller “The Peacekeeper.” But on Sunday, Kidman gave Clooney his first Oscar.

The actor formerly known as Batman, Brad Pitt’s “Ocean’s Eleven” boss and People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive received his award as best supporting actor in the dark drama “Syriana” from his former costar (and a previous Oscar winner herself). They shared a brief whispered aside when he greeted her onstage to accept his Oscar.

The award marked at least one victory for Clooney, who was the poster boy for this year’s Oscars with two other nominations as well -- both for “Good Night, and Good Luck,” as director and for original screenplay (along with Grant Heslov). But he perhaps displayed a sly knowledge of alleged Oscar politics when he quipped, “Wow. All right, so I’m not winning for best director.”

In taking home his Oscar, Clooney joins Robert De Niro as another glamour boy who won an Academy Award by putting on weight. De Niro was almost unrecognizable after gaining dozens of pounds for his turn as boxer Jake La Motta in 1980’s “Raging Bull,” which scored him a best actor Oscar. Clooney gained 35 pounds for his role as a troubled former CIA agent in “Syriana,” casting his pretty boy persona to the wind.

Asked backstage if the weight gain had any influence on academy voters, Clooney said: “I don’t know whether it matters or not. I think it’s a good part.”

-- Greg Braxton