Background

Ethnicity: Clooney's ancestry includes Irish, German, English and more distant Scottish and Dutch roots.

George Clooney was born on May 6, 1961, in Lexington, Kentucky, United States, into a well-known family of media and entertainment personalities. He is a son of Nina Bruce (Warren) Clooney, a former beauty pageant queen and city councilwoman, and Nick Clooney, a former anchorman, as well as a game show and American Movie Classics host.

George's maternal great-great-great-great-grandmother, Mary Ann Sparrow, was the half-sister of Nancy Lincoln, mother of President Abraham Lincoln. Cabaret singer and actress Rosemary Clooney was his aunt. Betty Clooney, an American singer and TV presenter, was also George's aunt.

It's also worth mentioning, that George's patrilineal line traces back to Nicholas Clooney (of County Kilkenny) and Bridget Byron, his great-great-grandparents, who emigrated to the United States from Ireland.

Clooney has an older sister, Adelia (commonly known as Ada). His cousins include actors Miguel Ferrer, Rafael Ferrer and Gabriel Ferrer.

Education

Clooney started his early education at the Blessed Sacrament School in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. Then, he studied at St. Michael's School in Worthington, Ohio. During the period from 1968 to 1974, George attended Western Row Elementary School (a public school) in Mason, Ohio. Later, he studied at St. Susanna School in Mason, where he served as an altar boy.

When George was midway through the seventh grade, his family retured to his native Kentucky, where he was born. During their time in Augusta, Kentucky, George studied at Augusta High School. At the school, he earned all As and a B and even played baseball and basketball. It was in 1977, that George tried out to play professional baseball with the Cincinnati Reds. However, he didn't pass the first round of player cuts and was not offered a contract.

Later, in 1979-1981, George studied at Northern Kentucky University, where Broadcast Journalism was his major. He also briefly attended the University of Cincinnati, but did not received a diploma there.

Moreover, George attended the Beverly Hills Playhouse acting school for five years.

Career

In his early years, George earned money, selling women's shoes, insurance door-to-door, stocking shelves, working in construction and cutting tobacco. As for his stage career, his first role was as an extra in the television mini-series "Centennial" in 1978, which was based on the novel of the same name by James A. Michener and was partly filmed in Clooney's hometown of Augusta, Kentucky. It was in 1984, that George received his first major role in the short-lived sitcom "E/R", that aired on CBS from September 16, 1984 to February 27, 1985.

In "The Facts of Life", American sitcom television series, that originally aired on NBC from August 24, 1979 to May 7, 1988, Clooney played a handyman. Later, he appeared as Detective on an episode of "The Golden Girls", sitcom television series, created by Susan Harris, that originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985 to May 9, 1992.

A semi-regular supporting role in the sitcom "Roseanne" was George's first remarkable role. He played Roseanne Barr's supervisor Booker Brooks in the sitcom. Later, he was cast as a construction worker on "Baby Talk". He then received a co-starring role as Detective Ryan Walker on the CBS drama "Bodies of Evidence". Later, Clooney got the part of Detective James Falconer on "Sisters", family drama television series.

It's also worth noting, that, in 1988, George had a small role in the comedy-horror film "Return of the Killer Tomatoes". Two years later, he starred in "Sunset Beat", the short-lived television drama series.

The actor started to gain prominence, when he was cast as Dr. Doug Ross on medical drama tv-series "ER" from 1994 to 1999. When he left the series, he made a cameo appearance in the 6th season and returned for a guest spot in the show's final season. It's worth noting, that, for his work on this drama tv-series, Clooney was honored with two Primetime Emmy Award nominations in 1995 and 1996 and received three Golden Globe Award nominations in 1995, 1996 and 1997.

Clooney worked at a hectic pace, managing to appear in several films during his time on "ER". He battled evil vampires with Quentin Tarantino in Robert Rodriguez's "From Dusk to Dawn" (1996). In the romantic comedy "One Fine Day" (1996), Clooney played a divorced father, who falls for a single mother (Michelle Pfeiffer). Assuming the role of the caped crusader, Clooney starred as Batman in the summer blockbuster "Batman & Robin" (1997), which eventually netted more than $107 million. The following year, Clooney starred opposite Jennifer Lopez in Steven Soderbergh's "Out of Sight" (1998). He also had a role in Terrence Malick's war drama "The Thin Red Line" (1998).

In 1999, Clooney turned in his "ER" scrubs to pursue his film career full time. He starred in the Persian Gulf War tale "Three Kings" with Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube that same year. Working with the Coen brothers, Clooney starred as a charming conman in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (2000), an imaginative retelling of the epic poem "The Odyssey". Clooney won a Golden Globe Award for his work on the film. He also reteamed with Wahlberg for the popular disaster-at-sea film "The Perfect Storm", based on Sebastian Junger's bestselling novel. The actor, who for so long had wondered if he'd truly make it big, was now Hollywood royalty.

In 2000, together with Steven Soderbergh, Clooney co-founded Section Eight Productions, a production company, which was closed at the end of 2006.

In 2001, Clooney starred in the remake of "Ocean's Eleven", directed by Steven Soderbergh. He played Danny Ocean, a role, originated by famed crooner Frank Sinatra. The comedic heist film featured an all-star cast, which included Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Bernie Mac and Matt Damon. It proved to be such a successful venture on- and off-screen, that it spawned two sequels, "Ocean's Twelve" and "Ocean's Thirteen". "Ocean's Eleven" is the most successful film with him in the lead role, earning $451 million worldwide.

George made his directorial debut in the 2002 film "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind", based on the autobiography of TV producer Chuck Barris. Though the film did not do well at the box office, critics stated, that Clooney's directing showed promise. Despite the film's poor box office performance and weak reviews, Clooney continued to work behind the scenes, serving as a producer on the 2005 political drama "Syriana". The usually fit Clooney gained roughly 30 pounds to play a government agent in the film, which explored political intrigue and corruption in the Middle East.

All of George's hard work on "Syriana" did not go unnoticed. In 2005, Clooney won the Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role in the film. He was also nominated for another important project, "Good Night, and Good Luck", that same year. The film examines the clash between distinguished news anchor Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy. Clooney directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay, which served partly as a tribute to his newsman father. Widely praised, the black-and-white drama helped Clooney earn his first nominations - for best director and best original screenplay.

In 2006, George appeared in "The Good German". The same year, Clooney, together with Grant Heslov, established the production company Smoke House Pictures. Later, in 2008, George directed and starred in "Leatherheads".

In 2009, George co-starred with Ewan McGregor and Kevin Spacey in the war comedy film "The Men Who Stare at Goats". Also, in November 2009, he voiced the title character in Wes Anderson's animated feature "Fantastic Mr. Fox". Clooney's next starring role was in the 2009 dramatic comedy, "Up in the Air", which earned him rave reviews. In the film, Clooney played Ryan Bingham, a consultant, who specializes in firing employees. For "The Ides of March" in 2011, Clooney proved to be a triple-threat, serving as the project's star, director and co-writer. The political drama featured Clooney as a presidential candidate and Ryan Gosling as one of his aides.

Also, in 2011, Clooney gave another impressive performance in the family drama "The Descendants", directed by Alexander Payne. He won a Golden Globe for his turn as a husband and father, who must cope with new challenges and unpleasant revelations after his wife is severely injured in a boating accident. He earned critical praise and several awards for his work in the film.

In 2013, Clooney received the Academy Award for Best Picture for producing "Argo" with Ben Affleck and Grant Heslov. The political thriller, directed by and starring Affleck, was an adaptation of "The Master of Disguise" by former CIA operative Tony Mendez and "The Great Escape", a Wired magazine article by Joshuah Bearman. Clooney was also featured in the sci-fi drama "Gravity" (2013), while 2014 saw the release of "The Monuments Men", which Clooney starred in and directed. The following year, Clooney received the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Cecil B. DeMille Award at the annual Golden Globes telecast.

Besides, in 2013, the comedy-drama film "August: Osage County", produced by Clooney, was released. The film stars Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts. In addition, it was also in 2013, that Clooney, together with Rande Gerber and Michael Meldman, co-established Casamigos Tequila. It was sold to Diageo for $700 million in June 2017.

Clooney's next film was "Tomorrowland" (2015), a science fiction adventure film, in which he played Frank Walker, an inventor. Later in the year, George was featured as himself in the Netflix Christmas musical comedy "A Very Murray Christmas", starring Bill Murray. In "Hail, Caesar!", which premiered in February 2016, Clooney appeared as Baird Whitlock, a Robert Taylor-type film star, who is kidnapped during the production of a film. Later, George reunited together with Julia Roberts for the Jodie Foster-directed thriller "Money Monster" (2016), where he was cast as a host of a television show, that investigates conspiracies on commerce and Wall Street, and who is taken hostage by a bankrupt viewer, given a bad tip.

Shortly after the release of "Suburbicon", a 1950's-set crime comedy, in 2017, Clooney revealed in an interview with The Sunday Times, that he was stepping back from acting. "I acted for a long time and, you know, I'm 56. I'm not the guy, that gets the girl anymore", he said, adding, that his secure financial footing gave him the luxury to pursue the projects of his choosing. One such project turned out to be an adaptation of Joseph Heller's 1961 novel, "Catch-22", about American servicemen, attempting to maintain their sanity amid the looming threat of death in combat during World War II. Clooney was set to direct and star as Colonel Cathcart in the limited series, his first regular television role since "ER" in the 1990's.

During his career, George has also appeared in commercials outside the United States for Fiat, Nespresso, Martini vermouth and Omega.

Achievements

• George Clooney is a prominent actor, director, producer and filmmaker. Initially, he gained recognition as Dr. Doug Ross on the medical drama "ER", running from 1994 to 1999. His breakthrough roles include those in "From Dusk till Dawn" (1996) and "Out of Sight" (1998). George is also well-known for his roles in "Ocean's" film series. The Middle East thriller "Syriana" (2005), "Up in the Air" (2009) and political thriller "Argo" (2012) also number among many films Clooney contributed to, assuming the role of director or actor.
  
  Apart from being a notable actor and filmmaker, George is also known for his political and economic activism. Moreover, he has served as one of the United Nations Messengers of Peace since January 31, 2008. Clooney's humanitarian work includes his advocacy of finding a resolution for the Darfur conflict, raising funds for the 2010 Haiti earthquake, 2004 Tsunami and 9/11 victims and creating documentaries, such as Sand and Sorrow to raise awareness about international crises.
  
  During his career, Clooney attained numerous awards, including the Academy Award, the Golden Globe Award, the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award, the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, the BAFTA Award, the AACTA International Award, among many-many others. In June 2018, Clooney received the Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute, a ceremony, that featured tributes from past collaborators, like Laura Dern and Don Cheadle, as well as luminaries, like President Barack Obama. He was also honored with nominations for many awards in different categories, including some of those awards, mentioned above.
  
  It's worth noting, that Clooney is the only person in Academy Award history to be nominated for Oscars in six different categories: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay.
  
  In 2005, television Guide ranked Clooney #1 on its "50 Sexiest Stars of All Time" lists. He is also often featured in People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" issue.
  
  According to Forbes annual ranking, George was the world's highest-paid actor for 2017-2018, earning $239 million between June 1, 2017 and June 1, 2018. Though it wasn't due to his screen work: the cash came from the recent sale of his tequila brand, Casamigos, which garnered him a cool $700 million up front, with the potential for another $300 million over the following decade.
  
  Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in Las Vegas has a "Marrying George Clooney" photo-op, in which museum visitors can put on a wedding gown and stand next to a wax statue of the actor in a tuxedo.

Works

More photos

• movie

  • The Men Who Stare at Goats

    (A reporter in Iraq might just have the story of a lifetim...)

    2009
  • Tomorrowland

    (Bound by a shared destiny, a teen, bursting with scientif...)

    2015
  • Up in the Air

    (Ryan Bingham enjoys living out of a suitcase for his job,...)

    2009
  • The Good German

    (While in post-war Berlin to cover the Potsdam Conference,...)

    2006
  • Leatherheads

    (In 1925, an enterprising pro football player convinces Am...)

    2008
  • Money Monster

    (Financial TV host Lee Gates and his producer Patty are pu...)

    2016
  • Ocean's Thirteen

    (Danny Ocean rounds up the boys for a third heist, after c...)

    2007
  • The Ides of March

    (An idealistic staffer for a new presidential candidate ge...)

    2011
  • From Dusk Till Dawn

    (Two criminals and their hostages unknowingly seek tempora...)

    1996
  • Syriana

    (A politically charged epic about the state of the oil ind...)

    2005
  • O Brother, Where Art Thou?

    (In the deep south during the 1930's, three escaped convic...)

    2000
  • The Thin Red Line

    (Adaptation of James Jones' autobiographical 1962 novel, f...)

    1998
  • Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

    (An adaptation of the cult memoir of game show impresario ...)

    2002
  • One Fine Day

    (The lives of two strangers and their young children unexp...)

    1996
  • The Monuments Men

    (An unlikely World War II platoon is tasked to rescue art ...)

    2014
  • Ocean's Twelve

    (Daniel Ocean recruits one more team member so he can pull...)

    2004
  • Intolerable Cruelty

    (A beautiful gold digger matches wits with a shrewd Beverl...)

    2003
  • The Descendants

    (A land baron tries to reconnect with his two daughters af...)

    2011
  • The Perfect Storm

    (An unusually intense storm pattern catches some commercia...)

    2000
  • Return of the Killer Tomatoes

    (Crazy old Professor Gangreen has developed a way to make ...)

    1988
  • Gravity

    (Two astronauts work together to survive after an accident...)

    2013
  • Ocean's Eleven

    (Danny Ocean and his ten accomplices plan to rob three Las...)

    2001
  • Batman and Robin

    (Batman and Robin try to keep their relationship together ...)

    1997
  • Red Surf

    (A surfer enjoys life with drug money together with his ga...)

    1989
  • Return to Horror High

    (In 1982, Crippen High School was the scene of a series of...)

    1987
  • Hail, Caesar!

    (A Hollywood fixer in the 1950's works to keep the studio'...)

    2016
  • The American

    (An assassin hides out in Italy for one last assignment.)

    2010
  • Good Night, and Good Luck

    (Broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow looks to bring down...)

    2005

• TV series

  • ER

    (The lives, loves and losses of the doctors and nurses of ...)

    1994
  • Catch-22

    (Limited series adaptation of the classic Joseph Heller no...)

    2019

Religion

Despite the fact, that George was reared in a devoted Roman Catholic family, he claimed, in 2006, that he did not know if he believed "in Heaven, or even God". He also added "Yes, we were Catholic, big-time, whole family, whole group".

Politics

An outspoken liberal, Clooney has been a frequent target of right-wing politicians and personalities, including FOX News's Bill O'Reilly. Beyond his disappointment with the election of George W. Bush as President in 2000, the actor was also an early opponent of the Iraq War and later called the president "dim" in a 2003 interview.

Following the September 11th attacks, Clooney organized a fundraiser, that featured dozens of Hollywood stars and assembled more than $129 million for the United Way. Four years later, he donated $1 million to the United Way Hurricane Katrina Response Fund.

In 2006, Clooney stepped up his involvement in political and social causes. He teamed up with his father and a few others to travel around the western region of Sudan, known as Darfur. Armed with a few small video cameras, Clooney and his father set out a report on how the area had been ravaged by war and how the international community was struggling to set up refugee camps to help those in need. By leveraging Clooney's Hollywood status, they believed they could bring greater attention to the Darfur crisis and could help fuel global interest in helping the region. Their edited footage was broadcast on such programs, as Oprah's.

Upon his return to the United States, Clooney brought his celebrity clout to Washington, D.C., where he spoke at a rally against the genocide in Darfur. Later, he spoke to a special meeting of the United Nations Security Council. With other celebrities, including Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle and Matt Damon, he formed a non-profit organization, called "Not On Our Watch", to help the people in Darfur. In 2007, he and Cheadle were recognized for their work for Darfur. The pair shared the Peace Summit Award at the 8th Annual World Summit of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in Rome. The following year, with his parents, standing at his side, Clooney was officially appointed as a United Nations peace envoy.

Following the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in February 2018, Clooney and his wife, Amal, announced they were donating $500,000 to the "March for Our Lives" protest, planned for the following month. Other entertainment A-listers followed their lead, with Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey also announcing donations.

Clooney supports the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. He is one of the chief associates of the "100 Lives Initiative", a project, which aims to remember the lives, lost during the event. As part of the initiative, Clooney launched the Aurora Prize, which awards to those, who risk their lives to prevent genocides and atrocities. Clooney had also urged various American government officials to support the United States' recognition of the Armenian Genocide. He visited Armenia to commemorate the 101st anniversary of the event in April 2016.

It's also worth mentioning, that George is a proponent of gay rights.

Views

Quotations: "You have only a short period of time in your life to make your mark, and I'm there now."

"Run for office? No. I've slept with too many women, I've done too many drugs, and I've been to too many parties."

"You make a lot of films, do you? You make a lot of films yourself? Yeah, I'd like to see you make a film first before you get to talk about it. What a jerk."

"We're picking on people we can beat."

"I'm not smart enough and I don't know enough about what's going on."

"I don't like to share my personal life... it wouldn't be personal if I shared it."

"People know everything about everybody now."

"You never really learn much from hearing yourself talk."

"The only failure is not to try."

"I love children and I get along with them great. It's just that I believe if you're going to be a parent, there has to be something inside you, that says, 'I want a family.' I don't feel that sense of urgency."

Membership

Clooney is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Personality

Physical Characteristics: In middle school, Clooney developed Bell's palsy, a medical condition, that partially paralyzes the face. The malady went away within a year. In an interview with Larry King, he stated "Yes, it goes away. It takes about nine months to go away. It was the first year of high school, which was a bad time for having half your face paralyzed." He also described one positive outcome of the condition: "It's probably a great thing, that it happened to me, because it forced me to engage in a series of making fun of myself. And I think that's an important part of being famous. The practical jokes have to be aimed at you."

On the set of "Syriana", Clooney suffered an accident, which caused a brain injury with complications from a punctured dura. After completing the film, Clooney underwent two surgeries to fix the problem.

Clooney endured a scare in July 2018, when he was thrown from a scooter after colliding with a car in Sardinia, Italy. According to reports, the oncoming car suddenly swerved across lanes and into the actor's motorbike, sending him flying several yards onto the asphalt. He was subsequently hospitalized and released after a few hours, with a spokesman, reporting, that Clooney was recovering at home.

Interests

• Writers

  Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace"

• Sport & Clubs

  baseball, basketball, American football

• Music & Bands

  Dinah Washington's "Destnation Moon"

Connections

Often the target of paparazzi, both in the United States and at his vacation home in Italy, Clooney's career has been a balancing act between maintaining his privacy and his Hollywood status. In 1987-1989, he dated actress Kelly Preston. In 1989, George married American actress Talia Balsam. That union was short-lived - the couple divorced in 1993 - and Clooney vowed, that he would never marry again or have children. The pledge managed to catch the attention of actresses Nicole Kidman and Michelle Pfeiffer, who both stated, that they believed Clooney would be a father before he turned 40, and even placed bets on it. Both actresses lost their bets and both sent Clooney checks to pay up. The actor returned the money to his friends.

Later, George dated actress Ginger Lynn Allen. Between 1996 and 1999, he had a relationship with French reality TV personality Céline Balitran. After meeting British model Lisa Snowdon in 2000, he had a five-year on-again, off-again relationship with her. In 2001, Clooney also dated Renée Zellweger. In 2002-2008, Krista Allen was his partner. In June 2007, Clooney began dating reality TV personality Sarah Larson, however, the couple broke up in May 2008.

In July 2009, Clooney dated Italian actress Elisabetta Canalis until their break up in June 2011. In July 2011, George started dating Stacy Keibler, who was formerly involved with actor Geoff Stults. They ended their relationship in July 2013.

In April 2014, Clooney, who was dubbed "Hollywood's most eligible bachelor" by the tabloids, proposed to Amal Alamuddin. Alamuddin is a Lebanese-born British human rights attorney, who has represented high-profile clients, including Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Clooney and Alamuddin married on September 27, 2014, in Venice, Italy. The couple gave birth to twins - Ella and Alexander - on June 6, 2017, in a London hospital.

Father:

Nick Clooney

Nick Clooney is a former broadcast journalist, anchorman, as well as a game show and American Movie Classics host.

Mother:

Nina Bruce (Warren) Clooney

Nina Bruce (Warren) Clooney is a former beauty pageant queen and city councilwoman.

child:

Alexander Clooney

child:

Ella Clooney

Sister:

Adelia Clooney

Adelia Clooney is famous for being the sister of the Hollywood superstar George Clooney.

great-great-great-great-grandmother:

Mary Ann Sparrow

Mary Ann Sparrow was the half-sister of Nancy Lincoln, mother of President Abraham Lincoln.

Great-grandfather:

Nicholas Clooney

Nicholas Clooney, George's great-grandfather, emigrated to the United States from Ireland.

Cousin:

Miguel Ferrer

Miguel Ferrer was an American actor and voice actor.

Cousin:

Rafael Ferrer

Rafael Ferrer is an American actor and voice actor.

Cousin:

Gabriel Ferrer

Gabriel Ferrer, George's brother, is an American priest.

ex-wife:

Talia Balsam

Talia Balsam is an American television and film actress.

Wife:

Amal Clooney

Amal Clooney is a British barrister at Doughty Street Chambers, specialising in international law and human rights.

Partner:

Stacy Keibler

Stacy Keibler is an American actress, dancer and model, as well as a former cheerleader and retired professional wrestler, specifically known for her work with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

Partner:

Elisabetta Canalis

Elisabetta Canalis is an Italian actress, singer and showgirl.

Partner:

Sarah Larson

Sarah Larson is an American reality TV personality and model.

Partner:

Krista Allen

Krista Allen is an American stand up comic and actress.

Partner:

Renée Zellweger

Renée Zellweger is an American actress, producer and singer.

Partner:

Lisa Snowdon

Lisa Snowdon is a British television and radio presenter and fashion model.

Partner:

Céline Balitran

Céline Balitran is a French reality TV personality and model.

Partner:

Ginger Lynn Allen

Ginger Lynn Allen is an American pornographic actress and model, who was a premier adult-entertainment star of the 1980's.

Partner:

Kelly Preston

Kelly Preston is an American actress and former model.

aunt:

Betty Clooney

Betty Clooney was an American singer, TV presenter and pioneer, who briefly rose to fame in the 1950's with sister Rosemary Clooney.

Great-grandmother:

Bridget (Byron) Clooney

Bridget (Byron) Clooney, George's great-grandmother, emigrated to the United States from Ireland together with her husband, Nicholas Clooney, George's great-grandfather.

aunt:

Rosemary Clooney

Rosemary Clooney was an American cabaret singer and actress.

colleague:

Steven Soderbergh

Steven Soderbergh is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer and actor.

References

• George Clooney: The Last Great Movie Star In "George Clooney: The Last Great Movie Star", Kimberly Potts traces the star's life from the small-town boy to big-screen star.
  2007
• George Clooney: A Biography A portrait of the popular actor, producer and director describes his childhood, career influences, rise to stardom on the television series "ER", film roles and outlook on life.
  2003
• The Biography of George Clooney This work represents a biography of the actor, known for his work on the television series "ER", and his various movie roles, including his starring role in the movie "Batman and Robin".
  1997
• George Clooney: Anatomy of an Actor A comprehensive study of George Clooney's work through the lens of ten of his most iconic roles.
  2016
• George Clooney: An Actor Looking for a Role This book traces the evolution of George Clooney's successful career, from his humble start as a television heartthrob to his current position as one of the most powerful figures in film making today.
  2012