George Clooney

George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for his leading roles in both blockbuster and independent films, he has earned numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and four Golden Globe Awards, along with nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award. His career honors include the Cecil B. DeMille Award, the Honorary César, the AFI Life Achievement Award, and the Kennedy Center Honor.

Clooney was born in Lexington, Kentucky, to Nina Bruce, a beauty queen and city councilwoman, and Nick Clooney, a former anchorman and television host. He is of predominantly Irish descent. His extended family includes his aunt, cabaret singer and actress Rosemary Clooney, and cousins Miguel, Rafael, and Gabriel Ferrer. Raised Roman Catholic, he attended several schools in Kentucky and Ohio. During his early youth, he experienced Bell's palsy, which resolved within a year. He later attended Augusta High School, tried out for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team in 1977, and attended Northern Kentucky University and the University of Cincinnati without graduating.

Clooney began his acting career with television appearances, including a role as an extra in the 1978 miniseries Centennial, followed by roles in series such as E/R, The Facts of Life, Roseanne, and Sisters. He also studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse for five years. His breakthrough came when he was cast as Dr. Doug Ross on the NBC medical drama ER, a role he played from 1994 to 1999. His performance earned him two Primetime Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations.

While starring on ER and after his departure, Clooney expanded into feature films. He starred in projects such as From Dusk till Dawn (1996), Out of Sight (1998), Three Kings (1999), and O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000). He achieved significant commercial popularity portraying Danny Ocean in the heist comedy Ocean's Eleven (2001) and its subsequent sequels. In 2005, Clooney won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of a CIA officer in Syriana. He subsequently earned Oscar nominations for Best Actor for his roles in Michael Clayton (2007), Up in the Air (2009), and The Descendants (2011).

Clooney made his feature film directorial debut with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002). He went on to direct, produce, and star in the historical drama Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), which earned him Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. He received the Academy Award for Best Picture as a co-producer of the political thriller Argo (2012). His other directorial credits include Leatherheads (2008), The Ides of March (2011), The Monuments Men (2014), and The Tender Bar (2021). In 2025, he made his Broadway debut in the stage adaptation of Good Night, and Good Luck, earning a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play.

In addition to his film work, Clooney was included on Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world each year from 2006 to 2009. He is active in political and economic causes, serving as a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 2008 and holding membership in the Council on Foreign Relations. He has been married to human rights lawyer Amal Clooney since 2014, and the couple has two children.