George Clooney is glad to be grey

George Clooney says his wife, Amal, is a strong and clever woman but denies they are a power couple. Photo / AP

Hollywood star says plastic surgery and dyeing hair can actually make men look older.

Men who dye their hair and have plastic surgery are actually making themselves look older, according to George Clooney.

The Hollywood star, who has long been admired for his ability to age gracefully, has argued there is no point "trying to fight" the ageing process.

The 54-year-old actor said he does not think dyeing hair or having plastic surgery "really works", adding "I think it actually makes you look older".

Clooney conceded that growing old can be hard on actors, who are offered fewer roles and less prominent characters in later life. But he said: "I think for all of us, you have to come to terms with getting older and not trying to fight it.

"You have a couple of options, which is get older, or die. And so you have to get used to that idea that your roles in films and who you are and how you're perceived is going to change. That will disappoint people at times."

Asked by Jenni Murray, the presenter of Women's Hour on BBC Radio 4, if he had ever considered cosmetic surgery or even dyeing his hair, he said: "Clearly I haven't. For me it's never been an issue or an option. I don't think it would make much sense, quite honestly. I've seen it happen. Particularly on men I don't think it really works. I think it actually makes you look older.

"I'm a big believer in the idea that you can't try to look younger. You just have to look the best you can at the age you are."

Clooney's comments come after Oscar-winning actress Jane Fonda told the Daily Telegraph: "It is okay for men to get older, because men become more desirable by being powerful." In an interview, the 77-year-old said: "With women, it's all about how we look ... So, for us, it's all about trying to stay young."

Clooney also said he was glad Hollywood had begun to discuss the issue of women's pay. He said the issue was "probably the only good thing that came out of the Sony hack - which I think was an abomination for the most part".

The emails from executives at Sony Pictures leaked by hackers revealed Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence was paid less than her male co-stars in the blockbuster American Hustle.

He added: "The one good thing that has come out of it is the conversation in very liberal Hollywood that women aren't being paid the same. I think there are 15 female directors in town. I think it's a very good conversation they're starting to have." Clooney added that he had married "a very strong, clever woman" but denied they were a power couple. His wife, Amal, is a respected lawyer and among a legal team advising the Greek Government on possible action in the international court for the return of the Elgin marbles from the British Museum in London.

Adding to speculation he has political aspirations, Clooney said: "Bill and Hillary [Clinton] seem to be a power couple. I think we're just a couple with great interest in the human condition. I don't think of it as particularly powerful, I just think of it as our responsibility as people on the planet."