Biography
Thanks to his newfound celebrity, Clooney made the jump to films while still on the series, quickly establishing himself as a major Hollywood player with leading roles in "From Dusk Till Dawn" (1996), "Batman & Robin" (1997) and "Out of Sight" (1998). When he left the confines of the small screen for big screen pastures, Clooney transcended mere stardom to become one of the most prominent actors of his era, emulating the devil-may-care …
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Career Milestones
| Beginning at age five, assisted on father's local Cincinnati talk show "The Nick Clooney Show" | ||
| Raised in rural Kentucky and Ohio | ||
| Received first professional job, a stereo commercial, by appearing at the audition with a six-pack | ||
| With Soderbergh, formed Section Eight, a production company | ||
| Worked cutting tobacco to earn enough money to buy a car in order to drive cross-county | ||
1974 | Served as a floor manager on his father's locally produced TV show | |
1975 | Suffered for a year with Bell's palsy | |
1977 | Tried out for Cincinnati Reds baseball team at age 16 | |
1982 | Appeared as an extra in "... And They're Off," a film starring his cousin Miguel Ferrer | |
1982 | Moved to Los Angeles at age 21; lived with his aunt Rosemary Clooney, working as her handyman and chauffeur | |
1984 | Debut as TV series regular on the CBS sitcom "E/R" playing a young orderly named Ace | |
1985 | Had a recurring role as carpenter George Burnett on the "The Facts of Life" (NBC) | |
1986 | TV-movie debut, "Combat High" (NBC) | |
1987 | Feature acting debut in the unreleased "Grizzly II - The Concert" | |
1987 | Played a drug dealer in the play "Vicious" at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago | |
1987 | Played role of Tom Bennett in failed NBC comedy pilot "Bennett Brothers" | |
1988 | Had starring role in the horror spoof "The Return of the Killer Tomatoes" | |
1988 | Played the recurring role of Booker, the male chauvinist boss on the first season of "Roseanne" (ABC) | |
1990 | Cast in the short-lived detective series "Sunset Beat" (ABC); show cancelled after three episodes | |
1991 | Appeared on the ABC sitcom "Baby Talk"; quit in frustration over "creative differences" with the producers | |
1991 | Declined Quentin Tarantino's request to read for a role in "Reservoir Dogs" | |
1993 | Played Falconer, a married policeman who becomes involved with Teddy Reed (Sela Ward) on "Sisters" (NBC) | |
1994 | Cast as pediatrician Dr. Doug Ross on the hit NBC medical drama "ER"; reprised role for one episode in the final season (2009) | |
1996 | Co-starred with Quentin Tarantino in the vampire horror flick "From Dusk Till Dawn" | |
1996 | Formed Maysville Pictures (formerly Left Bank Productions), named for the Kentucky town in which he grew up | |
1996 | Played romantic lead opposite Michelle Pfeiffer in "One Fine Day" | |
1997 | Portrayed Batman/Bruce Wayne in "Batman & Robin," the fourth installment in the series; directed by Joel Schumacher | |
1997 | Provided the voice of Sparky the dog on an episode of the Comedy Central animated series "South Park" | |
1998 | Played an escaped prisoner in Steven Soderbergh's "Out of Sight" | |
1998 | Signed separate two-year development deals with CBS and Warner Bros. | |
1999 | Contributed the voice of Dr. Gouache to the feature "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut" | |
1999 | Teamed with Ice Cube and Mark Wahlberg in David O Russell's critically-acclaimed "Three Kings" | |
1999 | Wrote and executive produced the HBO comedy series pilot "Kilroy" | |
2000 | Co-starred in the Coen brothers' "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" | |
2000 | Executive produced and acted in the live, two-hour broadcast of "Fail Safe" (CBS), adapted from the Cold War novel by Harvey Wheeler and Eugene Burdick; directed by Stephen Frears; project reteamed him with "ER" co-star Noah Wyle | |
2000 | With Wahlberg, co-starred in the film version of Wolfgang Petersen's "The Perfect Storm" | |
2001 | Reteamed with Soderbergh for remake of "Ocean's Eleven"; made through production company Section Eight | |
2001 | With Soderbergh, served as producer of Marc Rocco's "The Jacket" | |
2002 | Cast as a divorce attorney in the Coen brothers' feature "Intolerable Cruelty" | |
2002 | Feature directorial debut, "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind"; also had supporting role | |
2002 | Had small but memorable role as a crippled crook in "Welcome to Collinwood," a farcical comedy screened at Cannes | |
2002 | Starred in the sci-fi thriller feature "Solaris," directed by Soderbergh | |
2004 | Returned with the original cast for "Ocean's Twelve," directed by Soderbergh | |
2005 | Directed, co-wrote and portrayed producer Fred Friendly in "Goodnight, and Good Luck," the 1950s-era drama about legendary TV newsman Edward R. Murrow | |
2005 | Produced and starred in "Syriana," a geopolitical thriller based on the real-life memoirs of CIA agent Robert Baer | |
2006 | Co-starred with Cate Blanchett in "The Good German," about an American journalist trying to solve a murder mystery in post-war Berlin; directed by Steven Soderbergh | |
2006 | Formed Smoke House production company with Grant Heslov and signed a three-year first-look production and development deal with Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Bros. Television | |
2007 | Played the title role in "Michael Clayton," written and directed by Tony Gilroy; also co-produced | |
2007 | Reprised role of Danny Ocean for "Ocean's 13" | |
2008 | Directed and co-starred with Renée Zellweger in the 1920s-era football comedy "Leatherheads" | |
2008 | Joined an ensemble cast for the Coen brothers' "Burn After Reading" | |
2009 | Directed by Grant Heslov in "The Men Who Stare At Goats"; also co-produced | |
2009 | Played an isolated man who travels around the country to terminate corporate employees in Jason Reitman's "Up in the Air" | |
2009 | Voiced the title role in Wes Anderson's stop-motion animation adaptation of the Roald Dahl book, "Fantastic Mr. Fox" | |
2010 | Starred as an assassin who hides out in Italy for one last assignment in the drama thriller "The American"; also produced | |
2011 | Starred as the father of two who learns his comatose wife had cheated on him in Alexander Payne's "The Descendants" | |
2011 | Wrote, directed, produced and starred in the political drama "The Ides of March" | |
Awards
1995 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama in ER |
1995 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in ER |
1995 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in ER |
1996 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama in ER |
1996 | MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance in From Dusk Till Dawn |
1996 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor For a Drama Series in ER |
1996 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series in ER |
1996 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in ER |
1997 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama in ER |
1997 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series in ER |
1997 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in ER |
1998 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in ER |
1999 | MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss in Out of Sight |
1999 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in ER |
2000 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in O Brother, Where Art Thou? |
2001 | MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo in O Brother, Where Art Thou? |
2002 | MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Team in Ocean's Eleven |
2002 | National Board of Review Award for Special Filmmaking Achievement in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind |
2002 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video For a Series in Real Time with Bill Maher |
2003 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video For a Series in Real Time with Bill Maher |
2004 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video For a Series in Real Time with Bill Maher |
2005 | Academy Award for Actor In a Supporting Role in Syriana |
2005 | Academy Award for Directing in Good Night, And Good Luck |
2005 | Academy Award for Writing (Original Screenplay) in Good Night, And Good Luck |
2005 | BAFTA Award for Actor In a Supporting Role in Good Night, And Good Luck |
2005 | BAFTA Award for Actor In a Supporting Role in Syriana |
2005 | BAFTA Award for David Lean Award For Achievement In Direction, The in Good Night, And Good Luck |
2005 | BAFTA Award for Original Screenplay in Good Night, And Good Luck |
2005 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Director in Good Night, And Good Luck |
2005 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor in Syriana |
2005 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Writer (Original or Adapted Screenplay) in Good Night, And Good Luck |
2005 | Critics' Choice Award for Freedom Award in Good Night, And Good Luck |
2005 | Directors Guild of America Award for Feature Film in Good Night, And Good Luck |
2005 | Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture in Good Night, And Good Luck |
2005 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in Syriana |
2005 | Los Angeles Film Festival for Spirit of Independence Award |
2005 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video For a Series in Real Time with Bill Maher |
2005 | Venice International Film Festival for Osella for Best Screenplay in Good Night, And Good Luck |
2006 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Director in Good Night, And Good Luck |
2006 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video For a Series in Real Time with Bill Maher |
2006 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in Good Night, And Good Luck |
2006 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Syriana |
2007 | Academy Award for Actor In a Leading Role in Michael Clayton |
2007 | BAFTA Award for Leading Actor in Michael Clayton |
2007 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Actor in Michael Clayton |
2007 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama in Michael Clayton |
2007 | National Board of Review Award for Best Actor in Michael Clayton |
2007 | San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor in Michael Clayton |
2008 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video For a Series in Real Time with Bill Maher |
2008 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in Michael Clayton |
2009 | Academy Award for Actor In a Leading Role in Up in the Air |
2009 | BAFTA Award for Leading Actor in Up in the Air |
2009 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Actor in Up in the Air |
2009 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama in Up in the Air |
2009 | National Board of Review Award for Best Actor in Up in the Air |
2009 | New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor in The Fantastic Mr. Fox |
2009 | New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor in Up in the Air |
2010 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in Up in the Air |
2011 | Academy Award for Actor In a Leading Role in The Descendants |
2011 | Academy Award for Writing (Adapted Screenplay) in The Ides of March |
2011 | BAFTA Award for Adapted Screenplay in The Ides of March |
2011 | BAFTA Award for Leading Actor in The Descendants |
2011 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Actor in The Descendants |
2011 | Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture in The Ides of March |
2011 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama in The Descendants |
2011 | Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture in The Ides of March |
2011 | National Board of Review Award for Best Actor in The Descendants |
2011 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in The Descendants |
2011 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in The Descendants |
2011 | Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor in The Descendants |
2012 | Producers Guild of America Award for Theatrical Motion Pictures in The Ides of March |