George Clooney's Long-Term Goal: Directing

Be warned — you'll be seeing less and less of George Clooney over the next 10 years.

No, the debonair star isn't retiring from show business, but rather getting more behind it — behind the camera.

"Ten years from now, I imagine people will be fairly sick of seeing a lot of us who are on camera now," George says. "My hope is I'll be directing more. That is my goal."

He's gradually working his way toward making a name in directing. After earning rave reviews for his directorial debut, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, George earned a Best Director Oscar nomination for 2005's McCarthyism flick Good Night, and Good Luck. His third directing effort, Leatherheads, in which he also stars, will hit theaters Friday.

The football flick is a throwback to 1920s romantic comedies, a drastic change from his recent politically charged fare, including last year's legal thriller Michael Clayton, which brought him a Best Actor Oscar nod and Syriana, the oil drama that won him a Supporting Actor Oscar.

"I needed to do something completely different or I was going to become the 'issues director,"' George says. "That sort of ends your career really quickly when the issues change."

Up next for the 46-year-old? Directing a Joel and Ethan Coen brothers' script, Suburbicon, described by the star to be an "interesting, really funny and very dark comedy."

"The truth is I'm infinitely more successful than I ever thought I would be," he said. "I really didn't think I was going to be in this position, so I get to push the envelope and do the things I want to do — and not what I have to do — for as long as they let me do it."