George Clooney feared he would die after frightening motorcycle crash in Italy

George Clooney's scary motorcycle crash last year in Italy taught him a valuable lesson.

Last July, the 58-year-old star was involved in an accident in Sardinia, Italy, where he was filming his new World War II series Catch-22 at the time, and crashed into a Mercedes-Benz sedan while travelling at 70 miles per hour [approx. 113 kilometers per hour].

He was thrown from his bike and admitted to a local hospital, where he was treated and later released. Italian media outlets posted photos of what was reportedly Clooney's bike and the Mercedes-Benz after the crash to social media.

In a new interview, Clooney was asked about his favourite Italian memory while filming Catch-22, and the Oscar-winning actor and director recalled believing he may die in the moments after impact.

"I crashed a motorcycle. That was a really fun time," he jokingly told The Hollywood Reporter. "I've learned that I really, actually, cannot fly. I learned that lesson really well."

The-father-of-twins Ella and Alexander added that after 40 years of riding with friends, the crash got him "off of motorcycles for good. I had to quit. It was bad."

"It split my helmet in half, it knocked me out of my shoes. I was hit hard," said Clooney, whose wife is international human rights attorney Amal Clooney.

"I was just waiting for the switch to turn off because I broke his windshield with my head, and I thought, 'OK, well, that's my neck.' If you get nine lives, I got all of them used up at once — so I can let go of motorcycle riding for a while."

Thankfully, the actor appears to have fully recovered, even as his favourite passtime is officially over.

Catch-22 is now available to stream on Stan.