Although he was working steadily in B-movies and bad TV series by his midtwenties, this magnetic actor didn't become a sex symbol and megastar until he landed the plum role of a rogue doctor on
ER in 1994. Fame, film roles and the tabloids followed, yet after a string of wooden performances in high-priced flops, including
The Peacemaker and
Batman & Robin, it looked like his career might go the way of David Caruso's. But in the early '00s, Clooney bounced back by appearing in a wide array of roles: a dashing criminal in
Ocean's Eleven, a goofy fugitive in
O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and a dead serious CIA operative in 2005's
Syriana, which earned him both a Golden Globe and an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor. That same year, Clooney also tried his hand behind the camera, netting Golden Globe and Academy Award nods as a director and screenwriter for
Good Night, and Good Luck. Off screen, other than a brief marriage to Talia Balsam when he was young, this hunk is a notorious bachelor who has been linked with a long list of lovely ladies.
George Clooney Fast Facts:
- Owns a potbellied pig named Max as a household pet.
- Wanted to be a professional baseball player and tried out for the Cincinnati Reds at age 16.
- Was People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive in 1997.
- Worked on his father's local talk show starting at age 5, playing sketch characters and later as floor manager.
- Cut tobacco in order to buy a car and drive cross-country to Los Angeles, where he lived for a time with his aunt, singer Rosemary Clooney.
- A decade before hitting it big on ER, had a supporting role on the short-lived CBS sitcom titled E/R.
- George Clooney Relationships:
- Miguel Ferrer - Cousin
- Talia Balsam - Ex-wife
- Rosemary Clooney - Aunt
- Ada Zeidler - Sister
- Nick Clooney - Father
- Nina Bruce Clooney - Mother
- Sarah Larson - Significant Other
- George Clooney Awards:
- 2008 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
- 2007 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2001 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Winner
- 2006 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Winner
- 1996 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama - Nominee
- 1997 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama - Nominee
- 1998 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama - Nominee
- 2006 Golden Globe: Best Screenplay - Motion Picture - Nominee
- 1995 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 1996 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 2005 Oscar: Best Achievement in Directing - Nominee
- 2005 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role - Winner
- 2005 Oscar: Best Writing (Original Screenplay) - Nominee
- 2006 Golden Globe: Best Director - Motion Picture - Nominee
- College:
- Attended Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY
