George Clooney

Profession: Actor, Director, Producer & Screenwriter
Place/Date of Birth: Lexington, Kentucky, USA, 06 May 1961
Associated with: Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lopez

"If it weren’t for Barack Obama, it would have been a very good year. I thought Daniel Day-Lewis had the best performance of the year."

George’s tips for winners at the glitzy event - which takes place in LA on Sunday - include Amy Ryan and Javier Bardem for Best Supporting Actress and Actor, and Julie Christie for Best Actress, despite being impressed with Marion Cotillard’s portrayal of Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose.

"She does an old person trying to be young, instead of what everyone does - a young person trying to be old," he says. "It’s a stunning performance."

And George doesn’t reckon that his own film Michael Clayton has much of a shot at taking the Best Picture prize, predicting that the Oscar will go to the Coen Brothers and their film No Country For Old Men.

"Our film is the best it can be in that genre, but there’s a ceiling on that genre," he says. "If [Michael Clayton] has a shot at anything, it’s Best Supporting Actress with Tilda Swinton."

George: No advice for Ellen - Feb 8 2008
George Clooney may be a bona fide movie star, but it seems he doesn’t feel qualified to give other actors advice, especially when it comes to first time Oscar nominee Ellen Page.

"I can’t give Ellen Page advice - come on, she’s smart," said George.

"I’ll find some really dumb actor. I can’t give advice. The great thing about getting famous a little bit older, is that you’ve done all the mistakes along the way, but I certainly wouldn’t give anybody advice."

George also commented on the success of his movie Michael Clayton, which has been nominated for a stunning seven Oscars, including Best Film, Best Actor for George, and Best Supporting Actor and Actress gongs for Brits Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton.

"I think people have always liked legal thrillers," said George. "From Perry Mason to TV shows. It’s easy drama in a way because it’s always something with a beginning, middle and an end. It’s the natural drama to the trials that took place in the film."

George: I’m very proud - Feb 5 2008
George Clooney managed to tear himself away from lunch to discuss his acting rivals in the Best Actor category at the Academy Award Nominees Luncheon in the US.

"I don’t like Daniel Day-Lewis. I don’t know if you guys have met him but I caught him stealing," the actor joked to reporters.

Daniel is favourite to take the gong for his performance in Oscar-nominated film There Will Be Blood.

"Daniel Day-Lewis screws the whole thing up because he’s so good, and he raises the bar above in the room every time he works," George said seriously. "I’m just happy to be sitting at the table with someone like Daniel Day-Lewis. So I’m very proud to just be in that category."

George, nominated for his performance in Michael Clayton, also admitted he was looking forward to hobnobbing with the other celebs at the luncheon.

"It’s a funny thing - I think a lot of stars are starstruck in a way," he said.

"It’s not like you go and have drinks with all these famous people very often. So there’s something kind of exciting about standing around and saying hello. Like with Hal Holbrook. I’ve been a fan of his since I can’t remember."

Clooney tours UN as peace messenger - Feb 1 2008
Movie star George Clooney has taken up his new role as UN messenger of peace.

The 46-year-old arrived at the United Nations in New York, joking and shaking hands as he stepped past hundreds of curious UN employees.

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Biography

Irish American George Timothy Clooney was always destined to be an entertainer with a former pageant queen mother (Nina) and Game Show Host and Anchorman father (Nick). He is also the nephew of acclaimed Singer Rosemary Clooney and Actor Jose Ferrar.

As a child George often spent time on set with his father, even taking part in shows he was involved in. Despite some early promise as an athlete - even trying out for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team in 1977 - and an attempt at further education (never a promising student, he dropped out of both Northern Kentucky University and the University of Cincinnati), George soon followed in the showbiz family footsteps, auditioning for several parts in television series’. He was first noticed thanks to a role on the popular sitcom Roseanne during the 1980s but it wasn’t until 1994 and a part as handsome, moody Doctor Doug Ross in fast paced drama ER (not to be confused with Clooney’s earlier role in comedy E/R), that the actor really hit the big time.

With five years as Dr Doug under his belt Clooney made the leap to movies, starring in From Dusk ’Til Dawn, Three Kings, The Perfect Storm and O Brother, Where Art Thou? to much acclaim. He had also starred alongside Jennifer Lopez in Out of Sight and taken on the role of Batman during his ER years, ensuring he was now Hollywood A-list.

However it was his relationship with Out of Sight Director Stephen Soderburgh that would ensure Clooney made film history. The duo paired up for the first in a blockbusting franchise in 2001 - Ocean’s Eleven, and its successors, would team Clooney with fellow heartthrobs Brad Pitt and Matt Damon and hit the number one spot worldwide. Although the role of Danny Ocean would ensure Clooney’s continuing popularity with the public he was also determined to show he was more than a pretty face and a winning smile. In 2002 he made his directorial debut with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, although not a huge box office success the film won critical acclaim.

This was just the beginning of Clooney’s critical success. He soon followed Confessions with Good Night and Good Luck, which earned him Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. In the same year he was nominated for, and went on to win, Best Supporting Actor for his role in Syriana.

Clooney has since teamed up with Soderburgh not only on further Oceans movies but on The Good German, released in 2006. Away from the film set he is an active campaigner having been outspoken about not only the Iraq war but the Darfur crisis and global warming. There have even been rumours that he may enter politics, however Clooney himself says ’run for office? No...I’ve slept with too many women, taken too many drugs and I’ve been to too many parties.’

A confirmed bachelor, George was previously married to fellow actor Talia Balsam, from 1989 to 1993 and was linked to British model Lisa Snowdon on and off for some time. However he claims he will never again marry or have children, preferring to spend time with friends including Oceans co-stars Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts and, until recently, his pot bellied pig Max, who died in 2006.
March 2008