Mini Biography

Born in Lexington, Kentucky, as son of Nick Clooney, a TV newscaster of many years who hosted a talk show at Cincinnati and often invited George into the studios already at the age of 5. Avoiding competition with his father, he quit his job as broadcast journalist after a short time.

Studied a few years at Northern Kentucky University. Failed to join the Cincinnati Reds baseball team. He came to acting, when his cousin got him a small part in a feature film. After that he moved to L.A. in 1982 and tried a whole year to get a role while he slept in a friend's closet. His first movie, together with Charlie Sheen stayed unreleased, but got him the producers' attention for later contracts.

Trivia

• Best man at the wedding of Richard Kind.
• Tried out for a position on the Cincinatti Reds Personal stunt doubles are stuntmen Brad Martin, Troy Hartman and James E. Mitchell.
• He says he will never get married again, nor have any children, but Michelle Pfeiffer and Nicole Kidman have bet $10000 each that he will be a father before he turns 40.
• Waged war against the paparazzi by boycotting "Entertainment Tonight", the sister show of "Hard Copy", which had filmed Clooney without his permission.
• Son of actor and AMC host Nick Clooney.
• Was voted Sexiest Man Alive by People Magazine [1997] Was voted Best Dressed Male Television Star [1997]
• Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world [1996] Cousin is actor Miguel Ferrer.
• Uncle is the late actor José Ferrer.
• Aunt is singer and actress Rosemary Clooney. Education: Northern Kentucky University
• Owns a pet pig named Max
• Studied acting at The Beverly Hills Playhouse
• Coincidentally his first steady TV role was in the medical sitcom "E/R" (1984) that was based in Chicago and co-starred Elliott Gould, Mary McDonnell and Jason Alexander. Ten years later it would take another TV series "ER" (1994) (also based in Chicago) to finally launch him into the galaxy of super stardom.
• He was gab-queen Rosie O'Donnell's very first guest when her TV show debuted.
• Committed to O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) before even reading a script.
• His famed "Roman haircut" was actually an accident. While filming "From Dusk Till Dawn" he wanted to make his character Seth Gecko look really crazy with a chopped off hairstyle. But the haircut became popular and turned into a positive.
• Reportedly got into a fistfight with Three Kings (1999) director David O. Russell on the set. Russell had yelled and derided a few extras out of frustration and Clooney didn't appreciate it. Russell has since said "I wouldn't make another George Clooney movie if they paid me $20 million."
• Good friends with actor Mark Wahlberg.
• Dated Renée Zellweger.
• Appears in ZZ Top's 'She's Just Killin' Me' music video
• Has stated in several interviews that he has suffered from bleeding stomach ulcers, and is still on medication for stomach pain to this day.
• Ranked #27 on Premiere's 2002 Power 100 List.
• Frequently stars in movies that revolve around some type of robbery (Out of Sight, Dusk Till Dawn, Three Kings, O Brother Where Art Thou? Ocean's Eleven and Welcome to Collinwood.)
• Was once the son in law of vetern stars Martin Balsam and Joyce Van Patten while Clooney was still married to actress Talia Balsam.
• 'Cousin of Rafael Ferrer (II)'
• One of People Magazine's "Top 50 Bachelors" (2002)
• Was a pallbearer at the funeral of his late aunt, singer Rosemary Clooney.
• He got his start in a movie starring his cousin, Miguel Ferrer. Later, after Clooney had established himself on ER, Miguel Ferrer made a guest appearance on the show.
• Ranked #29 in Premiere's 2003 annual Power 100 List.
• Is the sixth actor to play Batman.
• No. 3 of 10 Top Sexiest Men in People magazine. (2003)
• His voice was dubbed for the singing moments in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Heads his own film & television production company, Maysville Pictures.
• Broke up with girlfriend Krista Allen (2004)
• Shared an apartment with actor Thom Mathews, during the early eighties.
• Bought a large Villa on Lake Como in Italy from John Kerry and Teresa Heinz

Personal Quotes

Discussing possible casting choices Mel Gibson and Nicolas Cage for Three Kings before he had signed to the movie: "Luckily, both those guys were tied and gagged in my apartment, and that was a problem for the casting department."

"I don't like to share my personal life... it wouldn't be personal if I shared it."

"I was too busy breaking up Tom and Nicole's marriage." -on the fact he had nothing to do with the breakup of Julia Roberts and Benjamin Bratt.

Speaking about the 2003 Iraq war: "You can't beat your enemy anymore through wars; instead you create an entire generation of people revenge-seeking. These days it only matters who's in charge.

Right now that's us -- for a while at least. Our opponents are going to resort to car bombs and suicide attacks because they have no other way to win. ...I believe (Rumsfeld) thinks this is a war that can be won, but there is no such thing anymore. We can't beat anyone anymore."

"It's not about an opening weekend. It's about a career, building a set of films you're proud of. Period."

"Ninety percent of films are pretty mediocre, but they have a built-in audience and open on 3,000 screens."

"Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind bombed. But I can take it. Most of the films I've done haven't done particularly well. I'm surprised I'm continuing to work."

"Directing is really exciting. In the end, it's more fun to be the painter than the paint."

"I don't believe in happy endings, but I do believe in happy travels, because ultimately...you die at a very young age, or you live long enough to watch your friends die. It's a mean thing, life."

Intolerable Cruelty (2003)$15,000,000
Ocean's Eleven (2001)$20,000,000
Perfect Storm, The (2000)$8,000,000
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)$1,000,000
Three Kings (1999)$5,000,000
Out of Sight (1998)$10,000,000
Peacemaker, The (1997)$3,000,000
Batman & Robin (1997)$10,000,000
One Fine Day (1996)$3,000,000

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)$250,000