United Kingdom, Nov. 23 -- Hollywood legend Paul Newman had no idea who George Clooney was when they met but still gave him advice on how to navigate fame.

George, 64, was playing Dr. Doug Ross on the NBC medical-drama ER when he crossed paths with the late great - who was shooting the 1999 romance-drama film Message in a Bottle - on the Warner Bros. Studios lot in Burbank, California.

George told the New York Times: "'I'm not as good at getting out as you are. I have a tendency to go, 'If I go out, that's going to be an extra hour of talking to people.' Paul Newman actually talked about this to me.

"When I first met him, he was at Warner Bros. doing Message in a Bottle, and I was on ER. Newman was sitting outside smoking a cigarette, ...