Clooney is People magazine's "sexiest man" again

Last year, his credentials as a Hollywood heavyweight in front of and behind the camera were cemented by his work in two acclaimed films -- the McCarthy-era drama "Good Night, and Good Luck," which he directed, co-wrote and acted in, and the political thriller "Syriana."

Besides winning the Academy Award for playing a CIA agent in "Syriana," Clooney earned an Oscar nomination as best director for "Good Night, and Good Luck," becoming the first person nominated for acting and directing in two different films in the same year. "Good Night" also earned Clooney a nomination for best original screenplay.

Off-screen, Clooney has been active in a number of political and social causes, including his support for international measures to halt ethnic violence in the war-torn Darfur region of Sudan.

Poking fun at his sex-symbol status, Clooney feigned exasperation over the burdens of the new title.

"There are all the events you have to show up for. The sash you have to wear that is embarrassing. There's pressure to remain sexy," he said, tongue firmly in cheek.

Pitt, who made the magazine's "sexiest man" cover in 1995 and 2000, was not totally snubbed this year. He was one of a dozen actors included in a new list of "12 Sexy Guys," which also includes Johnny Depp, star of this year's highest-grossing film, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," and Daniel Craig, the new James Bond in the upcoming 007 adventure "Casino Royale."