London Academy of Media Film TV

EARLY LIFE

George Clooney

Born George Timothy Clooney on 6th May, 1961, in Lexington, Kentucky, George is the youngest of two children to former pageant queen Nina, and television newscaster Nick Clooney. George’s family had many showbiz connections; his aunt Rosemary was a singer, and George’s cousin, actor Miguel Ferrer, is her son with actor Jose Ferrer. George would soon follow suit with the youngster spending much of his youth on his father’s sets where he proved popular with studio audiences. However, George’s early passion was for baseball with the young man excelling at the sport during his studies at Augusta High School in Kentucky, unsuccessfully trying out for the Cincinnati Reds in 1977.

ACTING DEBUT

He went on to study broadcast journalism at Northern Kentucky University, but discovered a love for acting when his cousin Miguel landed him a small role in unreleased drama And They’re Off. Another minor role followed in 1978 mini-series Centennial, yet George would have to wait nearly 6 years to be cast again, doing odd jobs in construction whilst auditioning for roles. His first break would come in 1984 when he was cast in short-lived medical comedy E/R (1984-85). George quickly became a television regular; appearing in the likes of The Facts of Life (1985-87), Murder She Wrote (1987), and Roseanne (1988-1991), as well as low-profile features Return to Horror High (1987) and Return of the Killer Tomatoes (1988), yet his star-making turn would come in another ER, when he was cast as Dr Doug Ross in Michael Crichton’s acclaimed medical series ER.

ER AND MAINSTREAM BREAKTHROUGH

ER proved to be instantly popular with George quickly becoming a firm favorite with female viewers, even guest-starring as a doctor in an episode of hit sitcom Friends in 1995 with co-star Noah Wyle. He earned 2 Emmy and 3 Golden Globe nominations for his performance as Doug Ross, and was soon landing lead parts in increasingly high-profile films including From Dusk Til Dawn (1996), and romantic drama One Fine Day (1996). However, George’s big screen breakthrough would have to wait when his star-making turn as Batman in Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin (1997) debuted to universally negative reviews, derailing the franchise and George’s big-screen prospects. His big-screen desires were not to be contained though and the star made a critical comeback a year later in Steven Soderbergh’s independent crime thriller Out of Sight (1998). He left ER as a series regular a year later to focus on his burgeoning film career; appearing in the likes of Three Kings (1999) and The Perfect Storm (2000) – both with Mark Wahlberg, and the Coen brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), before reuniting with Soderbergh for the star-studded remake Ocean’s Eleven (2001).

OCEAN’S ELEVEN AND BEYOND

Ocean’s was a critical and commercial success, sealing George’s reputation as an A-list star. He would reunite with Soderbergh on numerous occasions; starring in Solaris (2002), and The Good German (2006), as well as reprising the role of Danny Ocean for sequels Twelve, and Thirteen in 2004 and 2007 respectively. He has also frequently collaborated with the Coen brothers, starring in Intolerable Cruelty (2003), and Burn After Reading (2008), and has earned rave reviews and 3 Oscar nominations for his performances in Syriana (2005) for which he won Best Supporting Actor, Michael Clayton (2007), and Up in the Air (2009). He has most recently starred in Anton Corbijn’s hitman thriller The American (2011) and will next be seen in The Descendants (2011). George has also proven his talent behind the camera as well as in front of it; directing and starring in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), Good Night and Good Luck (2005), Leatherheads (2008), and the forthcoming drama The Ides of March (2011).

George Clooney with Matt Damon in Ocean's Eleven

POLITICAL ACTIVISM AND HUMANITARIAN WORK

George has publicly opposed America’s involvement in Iraq, and campaigned in support of Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. In 2007 George and fellow actor Don Cheadle were awarded the Summit Peace Award at the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to raise awareness for the civil war in Darfur. George has made public speeches at rallies and in front of the UN regarding the conflict, and has frequently visited the region to produce several documentaries highlighting the atrocities the conflict has caused. In 2008 George was named as a Messenger of Peace by the UN.

PERSONAL LIFE

George has famously had several high profile relationships, but has publicly stated he will not marry again after the breakdown of his marriage to Talia Balsam (1989-1993). He has previously dated models Lisa Snowden and Sarah Larson, and is currently in a relationship with actress Elisabetta Canalis. George is currently represented by Creative Artists Agency.

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