George Clooney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Clooney
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Clooney at the Venice Film Festival in 2024
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George Timothy Clooney
May 6, 1961 Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Northern Kentucky University |
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| Years active | 1978–present |
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Works
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Filmography |
| Political party | Democratic |
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| Children | 2 |
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| Awards | Full list |
George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is a famous American actor, filmmaker, and philanthropist (someone who helps others). He is well-known for playing lead roles in many movies, both big blockbusters and smaller independent films.
Clooney has won many awards, including two Academy Awards (Oscars), a BAFTA Award, and four Golden Globe Awards. He also received special honors like the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2015 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2018.
He became very famous for his role as Dr. Doug Ross on the TV show ER from 1994 to 1999. After that, he became a movie star, appearing in films like From Dusk till Dawn (1996), Out of Sight (1998), and the Ocean's film series (2001–2007). He won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Syriana (2005).
George Clooney has also directed nine movies, including Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) and The Monuments Men (2014). He won an Oscar for Best Picture as a producer for the film Argo (2012). In 2025, he made his first appearance on Broadway in the play Good Night, and Good Luck.
Clooney is also known for his work helping others and his activism. He has been a United Nations Messengers of Peace since 2008. He is married to human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, and they have two children.
Contents
Early Life and Education
George Timothy Clooney was born on May 6, 1961, in Lexington, Kentucky. His mother, Nina Bruce, was a beauty queen and a city councilwoman. His father, Nick Clooney, was a TV news anchor and host. George has Irish, German, and English family roots. He is also distantly related to President Abraham Lincoln. George has an older sister named Adelia. His aunt was the famous singer and actress Rosemary Clooney.
George was raised in the Roman Catholic faith. He went to several schools in Kentucky and Ohio. In middle school, he had a condition called Bell's palsy, which temporarily paralyzed half of his face. It went away within a year. He later said this experience helped him learn to make fun of himself, which was important for his future career.
After his parents moved to Augusta, Kentucky, George attended Augusta High School. He was a good student and played baseball and basketball. In 1977, he even tried out for the professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Reds, but he didn't get a contract. He later studied broadcast journalism at Northern Kentucky University and briefly at the University of Cincinnati, but he did not finish his degree. Before becoming an actor, he worked various jobs, like selling shoes and insurance, and working in construction.
Acting Career
Early Roles (1978–1993)
George Clooney's very first acting job was as an extra in a TV miniseries called Centennial in 1978. His first bigger role came in 1984 in the TV sitcom E/R. He also appeared on popular shows like The Facts of Life and The Golden Girls. In 1986, he acted in a play called Vicious.
He had a recurring role in the sitcom Roseanne and later appeared in dramas like Bodies of Evidence and Sisters. In 1988, he starred in the comedy-horror film Return of the Killer Tomatoes. During these early years, Clooney also studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse.
Becoming a Star (1994–1999)
Clooney became a household name when he played Dr. Doug Ross on the popular NBC medical drama ER. He was on the show from 1994 to 1999. ER was a huge success and is considered one of the greatest TV shows ever. It was the most-watched show on television for three years, with millions of viewers. Even after leaving the show, he made guest appearances in later seasons. For his work on ER, Clooney was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards.
While working on ER, Clooney also started acting in movies. His first big Hollywood film was the horror-comedy From Dusk till Dawn. He then starred in the romantic comedy One Fine Day with Michelle Pfeiffer and the action-thriller The Peacemaker with Nicole Kidman. He also played Batman in the movie Batman & Robin. In 1998, he co-starred with Jennifer Lopez in the crime-comedy Out of Sight, which was the first of many times he worked with director Steven Soderbergh.
Leading Roles and Directing Debut (2000–2004)
After leaving ER, Clooney starred in successful movies like the disaster film The Perfect Storm (2000). That same year, he appeared in the adventure comedy O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), directed by the Coen brothers. In this film, he played an escaped convict named Ulysses Everett McGill. He received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance.
In 2001, Clooney worked with director Steven Soderbergh again in the heist comedy Ocean's Eleven. He played Danny Ocean alongside stars like Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, and Matt Damon. This movie made Clooney a top film star. It was his most successful film where he had the main role. Ocean's Eleven led to two sequels, Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007).
Clooney also made his directing debut in 2002 with the film Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. Even though the movie didn't earn a lot of money, critics thought Clooney showed promise as a director. In 2003, he reunited with the Coen brothers for the romantic comedy Intolerable Cruelty with Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Award-Winning Work (2005–2013)
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In 2005, Clooney starred in Syriana, a film about a CIA agent. He won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for this role. In the same year, he directed, produced, and starred in Good Night, and Good Luck, a film about a 1950s TV journalist. He was nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for this film.
In 2006, Clooney and his partner Grant Heslov started a production company called Smokehouse Pictures. In 2007, he was nominated for another Oscar for Best Actor for his role in Michael Clayton.
In 2009, he starred in the war comedy The Men Who Stare at Goats and voiced the main character in the animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox. He also starred in the drama Up in the Air, for which he received many nominations, including an Oscar.
In 2011, Clooney starred in The Descendants, earning critical praise and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. He was also nominated for an Oscar for this role. In 2013, Clooney won the Oscar for Best Picture as a producer for the film Argo. The following year, he co-starred with Sandra Bullock in the space thriller Gravity (2013).
In 2013, Clooney also co-founded Casamigos Tequila. It was later sold for a large sum of money.
Directing and Recent Work (2014–Present)
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In 2014, Clooney co-wrote, directed, and starred in The Monuments Men, a film about a group of people who saved art during World War II. He also produced August: Osage County (2013).
His next film was Tomorrowland (2015), a science fiction adventure. In 2016, he starred in the comedy Hail, Caesar! and reunited with Julia Roberts for the thriller Money Monster.
In 2017, he directed Suburbicon. In 2018, he received the AFI Life Achievement Award, a major honor in the film industry. In 2019, Clooney returned to television, starring, directing, and producing the miniseries Catch-22.
After a break from acting in films, Clooney starred in, directed, and produced the science fiction film The Midnight Sky for Netflix. He also directed The Tender Bar (2021).
In 2022, he reunited with Julia Roberts for the romantic comedy Ticket to Paradise. In 2023, Clooney made a cameo appearance as Batman in The Flash. His next film as a director was the sports drama The Boys in the Boat, released in December 2023.
Clooney teamed up with Brad Pitt again for the thriller film Wolfs (2024). In 2025, he made his Broadway debut as an actor in the play Good Night, and Good Luck. He is also set to star in a dramedy film called Jay Kelly.
Activism and Helping Others
George Clooney is very active in politics and humanitarian work. He supported Barack Obama's presidential campaigns and later Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. He has also spoken out against certain political figures.
Clooney is involved with the Not On Our Watch Project, an organization that works to prevent terrible events like mass killings around the world. In 2010, he helped organize the telethon Hope for Haiti Now to raise money for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
He has also supported LGBTQ rights. In 2012, he participated in a play to raise money for the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which works for same-sex marriage rights. In 2020, George and Amal Clooney donated $100,000 to charities in Beirut after a huge explosion.
Helping Darfur
Clooney has been a strong advocate for resolving the Darfur conflict in Sudan. In 2006, he visited Chad and Sudan with his father to make a TV special called A Journey to Darfur, showing the struggles of refugees. He spoke to the UN Security Council to ask for help for the people of Darfur. In 2007, he narrated the documentary Sand and Sorrow about the conflict.
In 2007, Clooney and actor Don Cheadle received the Summit Peace Award from Nobel Peace Prize winners. In 2008, the United Nations named Clooney a UN messenger of peace. He also helped start the Satellite Sentinel Project (SSP) to monitor activity in Sudan and prevent violence. In 2012, Clooney was arrested outside the Sudanese Embassy during a protest to bring attention to the conflict.
Other Causes
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Clooney supports the recognition of the Armenian genocide. He is involved with the 100 Lives Initiative, which remembers those lost during the event. He also launched the Aurora Prize, which honors people who risk their lives to prevent genocides.
In 2015, Clooney focused on helping Syrian refugees. In 2016, he and his wife Amal met with Syrian refugees in Berlin and thanked German Chancellor Angela Merkel for her country's help.
In 2018, after the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, the Clooneys pledged $500,000 to the March for Our Lives movement, which advocates for stricter gun control.
Personal Life
Relationships and Family
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George Clooney was married to actress Talia Balsam from 1989 to 1993. He also had several other relationships over the years with actresses and models.
On April 28, 2014, Clooney became engaged to human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin. They got married on September 27, 2014, in Italy. Clooney has said they connected over their shared interest in helping others.
In 2015, George and Amal adopted a rescue dog named Millie. On June 6, 2017, Amal gave birth to their twins, a daughter named Ella and a son named Alexander. Clooney has shared that their children can speak Italian fluently, even though he and Amal do not.
Homes and Accidents
Clooney owns properties in Los Angeles, California, and in the village of Laglio, on Lake Como in Italy. He also has a home in Los Cabos, Mexico. In 2014, he and Amal bought a historic house on an island in the River Thames in England.
On September 21, 2007, Clooney and his girlfriend at the time were injured in a motorcycle accident in New Jersey. In July 2018, Clooney was hit by a car while riding a motorcycle in Sardinia, Italy, but he only had minor injuries.
Sports and Media
Growing up, Clooney was a fan of the Cincinnati Bengals football team and the Cincinnati Reds baseball team. He also supports the English football club Derby County.
Clooney has appeared in commercials outside the U.S. for brands like Fiat, Nespresso, and Omega watches. Time magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World several times. He is often described as one of the most handsome men in the world.
Clooney has been parodied in TV shows like South Park and American Dad!. He has also lent his voice to South Park characters.
Awards and Achievements
Throughout his career, George Clooney has won many awards. He has two Academy Awards (Oscars): one for Best Supporting Actor in Syriana and another for Best Picture as a producer for Argo. He also has a BAFTA and a Golden Globe.
As of 2023, he is one of only four people to have been nominated for Academy Awards in six different categories. For his role in The Descendants, he won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 2015, Clooney received the special Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for his lifetime achievements in film. In 2025, he was honored with a Theatre World Award for his performance on Broadway in Good Night, and Good Luck.
See also
In Spanish: George Clooney para niños
