George Clooney's great friends

George Clooney has "truly great" female friends.

The 50-year-old actor – who recently split from girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis after two years together and is now rumoured to be dating former wrestler Stacy Keibler – values the company of women and insists he doesn't always have any romantic involvement with the "strong" ladies he likes to surround himself with.

He said: "I've always had really great friends on both sides of the aisle, so to speak.

"I grew up with strong women, my mom is strong and so is my sister and so was my aunt, Rosemary Clooney.

"I've always been comfortable around women. I have some truly great women friends and the friendship is non-romantic."

The 'Syriana' actor values honesty and humour in his friends, and loves the way his loved ones keep him grounded.

He told Britain's HELLO! magazine: "I look for a sense of humour and fun, an interest in other people and, most important of all, honesty.

"I don't surround myself with people who are on my payroll and have to agree with every word I say.

"There's a lot of smooth talking around. But for every person who says to me, 'Wow, you were brilliant in that', there's a friend, or my mom, dad, or sister, rolling their eyes and going, 'Yeah George, you're really a genius.' That's very important to me."