George Stephanopoulos facts for kids

Quick facts for kids George Stephanopoulos
Stephanopoulos in 2024
Senior Advisor to the President
In office June 7, 1993 – December 10, 1996
President	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Rahm Emanuel
Succeeded by	Sidney Blumenthal
White House Communications Director
In office January 20, 1993 – June 7, 1993
President	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Margaret D. Tutwiler
Succeeded by	Mark Gearan
Personal details
Born	George Robert Stephanopoulos (1961-02-10) February 10, 1961 (age 64) Fall River, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Ali Wentworth ​ (m. 2001)​
Children	2
Education	Columbia University (BA) Balliol College, Oxford (MA)

George Robert Stephanopoulos (born February 10, 1961) is an American television host and political expert. He is known for his work on ABC News. George is a co-anchor on Good Morning America. He also hosts This Week, which is ABC's Sunday morning news show.

Before becoming a journalist, Stephanopoulos worked as an advisor for the Democratic Party. He became well-known as the communications director for Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign. Later, he worked in the White House as a communications director. He also served as a senior advisor for policy and strategy until December 1996.

Early Life and School

George Stephanopoulos was born in Fall River, Massachusetts. His parents, Robert George Stephanopoulos and Nickolitsa "Nikki" Gloria, were of Greek descent. His father was a Greek Orthodox priest. His mother worked for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America National News Service.

Stephanopoulos speaking at Virginia Tech in March 2006

After living in Purchase, New York, George moved to Cleveland, Ohio. He finished high school in 1978 at Orange High School.

In 1982, George earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Columbia University in New York. He graduated with very high honors and was the second-highest-ranking student in his class. While at Columbia, he was chosen for the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. He also received a Harry S. Truman Scholarship. He was a sports broadcaster for the university's radio station, WKCR-FM.

Stephanopoulos then studied at Balliol College at the University of Oxford in England. He was a Rhodes Scholar, which is a special scholarship for talented students. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Theology in 1984.

Political Career

Early Work in Politics

George Stephanopoulos started his career in Washington, D.C.. He worked as an assistant for Ed Feighan, a Democratic congressman from Ohio. His duties included writing letters, memos, and speeches. He later became Feighan's chief of staff, which is a top assistant role.

In 1988, Stephanopoulos worked on Michael Dukakis's U.S. presidential campaign. He was drawn to the campaign because Dukakis was also a Greek-American from Massachusetts. After this campaign, George became an assistant to Dick Gephardt. Gephardt was the Majority Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives. George held this job until he joined Bill Clinton's campaign.

Working for President Clinton

Stephanopoulos and President Bill Clinton prepare for the State of the Union Address in 1994.

Stephanopoulos was a key member of Clinton's 1992 U.S. presidential campaign. His work during the campaign was shown in the movie The War Room (1993).

In the Clinton administration, George was a senior advisor for policy and strategy. He worked on important topics like crime laws, equal opportunity, and health care. At the start of Clinton's presidency, Stephanopoulos also often spoke to the press. He was seen as a close advisor to President Clinton.

In 1994, Stephanopoulos worked to manage public information regarding certain accusations against President Clinton. He also worked to keep a news conference about these accusations off television.

In 1995, George had a minor car accident in Georgetown. He was charged with leaving the scene and driving with an expired license. The charge of leaving the scene was later dropped.

Stephanopoulos left the Clinton administration after Clinton was re-elected in 1996. He wrote a book about his time in politics called All Too Human: A Political Education (1999). The book became a bestseller. In it, he shared how stressful his job was. President Clinton later mentioned the book in his own autobiography, My Life. Clinton said he regretted the pressure George faced.

Stephanopoulos's book covers his time with Clinton from 1991 to 1996. This period included two presidential campaigns and four years in the White House. He described Clinton as a "complicated man."

Journalism Career

After leaving the White House, Stephanopoulos became a political expert for ABC News. He worked as a correspondent on This Week, World News Tonight, and Good Morning America.

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton talk with George Stephanopoulos in December 2009 in Washington, D.C.

In September 2002, Stephanopoulos became the host of This Week. ABC News also named him "Chief Washington Correspondent" in December 2005.

On April 16, 2008, Stephanopoulos helped lead a Democratic Party presidential debate. He questioned Illinois Senator Barack Obama and New York Senator Hillary Clinton. The debate had very high viewership.

During the 2008 presidential election, Stephanopoulos started a blog called George's Bottom Line. He wrote about political news and analysis from Washington.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen is interviewed by Good Morning America's Stephanopoulos.

Stephanopoulos interviews President Joe Biden in 2021.

In December 2009, ABC News offered Stephanopoulos a co-anchor job on Good Morning America. He accepted and began this role on December 14, 2009. He announced on January 10, 2010, that it would be his last broadcast as the permanent host of This Week. However, he returned as host of This Week in December 2011. He signed a contract to stay with ABC until 2021.

On January 7, 2012, Stephanopoulos co-moderated a debate among Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum.

After Diane Sawyer left ABC World News in August 2014, Stephanopoulos became the Chief Anchor at ABC News. He held this role from 2014 to 2020. He also kept his jobs on GMA and This Week. Stephanopoulos now leads a new documentary team for Disney's online platforms. He also hosts four special primetime shows on ABC each year.

Speaking Events

In 2009, Stephanopoulos spoke at a scholarship event in Cleveland. He praised Cuyahoga Community College.

Other Projects

George Stephanopoulos is a co-founder of two production companies: BedBy8 and George Stephanopoulos Productions. These companies have produced several documentaries. Some titles include Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields and Grand Knighthawk: Infiltrating the KKK.

Personal Life

Stephanopoulos is a Greek Orthodox Christian. He has a master's degree in theology.

Stephanopoulos married Ali Wentworth in 2001. She is an actress, comedian, and writer. They were married at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York City. They have two daughters, born in 2002 and 2005. George learned about transcendental meditation from Jerry Seinfeld. He has spoken about how it has made a difference in people's lives.

Honors and Awards

In May 2007, St. John's University in New York City gave Stephanopoulos an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

He has won two News and Documentary Emmy Awards. He has also been nominated for 17 of these awards.

See also

In Spanish: George Stephanopoulos para niños