VENICE, Italy (CNN) - The bigger the star, the lower the press are prepared to sink in order to get their attention.

An Italian man took off his clothes - down to his boxers - and asked George Clooney for a kiss at a press conference at the Venice Film Festival.

Security seemed reluctant to drag the man, who had an officially accredited badge, away.

"It's hard when you take a big chance and it doesn't work," Clooney grinned in response. "It's always really embarrassing when you take one big swing for the fence and it falls flat ... It was a good try though."

"Have you ever heard the David Niven joke," continued Clooney, "Wasn't it his line at the Oscars one year when he said the biggest laugh he'd ever get is by taking off his clothes and showing us his shortcomings."

Clooney is in Venice to promote Iraq war satire "The Men Who Stare at Goats," which is screening at the Lido.

The film, about a U.S. military unit that experiments with paranormal powers, co-stars Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges.