George Clooney is a famous American actor,
director and producer whose work has won the most prestigious film awards. In this video, we
will get you closer to the work and personal life of the handsome Hollywood man, and tell you about
how much he managed to earn during his career. George Clooney: how the charming
heartbreaker lives and how much he earns
George Timothy Clooney was born on May 6, 1961
in Lexington, Kentucky into a highly talented family. His mother Nina was a former state beauty
queen and public figure, and his father Nick was a journalist and host of his own talk show, and he
also had political ambitions. George has a sister, Adelia, who is two years older than him.
Clooney grew up in a Catholic family. His ancestors were Irish, English and German. On
his mother's side George is a distant relative of the 16th President of the United States
Abraham Lincoln. He also has famous relatives on his father's side. Also, the pop singer
and actress Rosemary Clooney is his aunt.
As a child, George often came to his
father’s work, and at the age of 5, he first appeared in his show. The charming child
really appealed to the audience, which is why you could see him in other TV shows at that time.
Things were not always going well in the Clooney family. There were times when
they experienced financial difficulties, due to which they often moved in search of
a better job for the head of the family. Due to this, our star often switched schools.
As a teenager, the future actor developed a neurosis passed on to him from his father,
Bell's palsy. The left side of his face was paralyzed for a year, which was the
subject of ridicule among classmates, who gave him the nickname Frankenstein. George
calls that the hardest period of his life, but it also taught him to laugh at himself,
which helped in his future profession.
In high school, he was an honor student
and an avid athlete. He played on the basketball and baseball teams. He even
planned to be a professional athlete, and in 1977 he tried out for the Cincinnati Reds
baseball team but didn't make the standard tryout. After graduating from Augusta High School, Clooney
enrolled at Northern Kentucky University as a radio journalism major. Thanks to his connections
he was able to practice at a local television station, but constant comparisons with his
father led George to drop out and decide to try his hand at being a lawyer, enrolling
at the University of Cincinnati. However, he soon dropped out of that school as well.
In 1978, the filming of the mini-series Centennial took place in Augusta, in which our star got a
cameo role. Although Clooney was not listed in the credits, after the filming he realized
that he wanted to build an acting career. In the early 1980s, George moved to Los Angeles,
but Hollywood was not waiting for him with open arms. Over the years, he received mostly
rejections, and when he did manage to get a role, it was often minor, in such productions as
And They Are Off, Grizzly II: The Predator, Riptide, Street Hawk, Crazy Like a Fox,
as well as the TV series Hotel, ‘Murder, She Wrote’ and The Facts of Life. However, none
of the roles brought the aspiring actor any fame or large royalties. Therefore, to support
himself, he had to work hard. At that time, Clooney worked as a loader, construction
worker, insurance agent, shoe salesman, and a worker in the tobacco fields. In fact, for
a long time George was an inveterate smoker, but after realizing that many members of his family
had died of lung cancer, he gave up the bad habit. The man was woefully short of money.
He could not afford separate housing, so for a long time he lived with a friend
renting a room in his basement. Clooney rode his bicycle to auditions, as he did not
have enough money for public transportation. In 1987, the filmography of our star
was supplemented with the series Hunter, The Golden Girls, ‘The Law and Harry McGraw’,
films Return to Horror High and Bennett Brothers. In the same year at one of the parties, George
met actress Kelly Preston, with whom he burst into a stormy affair. The couple announced
their engagement and began living together, but two years later they unexpectedly broke up.
There was speculation in the media that the cause of discord was the piglet Max, which Clooney gave
her: Kelly considered it an insult, returned the animal to George and parted with him. In the
end, the piggy stayed with Clooney. The actor considered Max as his mascot, and when 18 years
later, the animal was gone, the man took it hard.
During his relationship with Preston, the man
managed to star in the TV series Roseanne, as well as in the films Return of
the Killer Tomatoes and Red Surf. In 1989, our star began to meet with actress
Talia Balsam. Their romance grew rapidly, and a few months later the lovers legalized
their relationship in Las Vegas. However, family life did not work out, and four years later
the couple divorced. George suffered badly from the separation and promised himself never to marry
again. After the divorce, Clooney was in brief relationships with actresses Kelly Rutherford,
Elizabeth Daily, and Kimberly Russell.
During that period, his filmography was enriched
by Sunset Beat, Rewrite for Murder, Unbecoming Age, Without Warning: Terror in the Towers, and
The Harvest, as well as the TV series Baby Talk and Sisters. The actor appeared in 19 episodes of
the latter, for each of which he earned $40,000. In 1994, Clooney began starring in the TV series
ER as Dr. Doug Ross. The actor was involved in this soap opera for 5 years, appearing in
109 episodes, including star appearances in 2000 and 2009. According to some reports,
George earned $100,000 for each episode.
It is interesting that in the scenes, Clooney's
character often lowers his head, giving the impression that he is thinking. In fact, this was
not part of the script. It's just that there were a lot of complicated medical terms in the text,
which he had to look up sometimes. Notably, in real life, George has health problems as he has
been plagued by a stomach ulcer for many years. The role of Doug Ross became a breakthrough
and brought our star worldwide fame, as well as the title of a heartthrob. In the
future, the actor was repeatedly recognized as the most attractive man on the planet.
For his role in ER, Clooney has been nominated for several years in a row for prestigious
film awards, including the Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award. In fact, the
latter was awarded to George and his colleagues as many as 4 times in the Best Actor category.
In 1995, Clooney appeared in an episode of the series Friends, also as a doctor.
At that time, the man was presumed to have affairs with actresses Cameron Diaz and
Frances Fisher, but he did not confirm them, unlike his affair with television presenter
Karen Duffy. The couple's relationship lasted only a month, after which the lovers
parted, while remaining good friends.
In 1996, our hero starred in the cult action movie
From Dusk till Dawn, appearing as a criminal, one of the Gecko brothers. Interestingly, the
phrase "No thanks, I already had a wife" was improvised by George, which the director at first
did not intend to include in the film. However, after the studio added it to the trailer, they
had to leave a replica in the final editing. For his role in the film, the actor
was awarded prizes from MTV and Saturn, and received a fee of 250 thousand dollars.
Clooney also starred in the melodrama One Fine Day, earning $3 million. His
partner was Michelle Pfeiffer, whom he had known for many years. As
it turned out, back in the early 80s, the man was courting her younger
sister, actress Dedee Pfeiffer. In the same 1996, George had a fleeting
romance with model Vendela Kirsebom, after the breakup with whom he began to meet
a Frenchwoman Celine Balitran. Clooney met this girl, 13 years younger than him, in
a cafe in Paris, where she, a law student, was working as a waitress. He was so in
love with the blonde that he immediately offered her to move with him to Los Angeles.
Celine agreed without a second thought.
In 1997, George voiced one of the characters in
the animated film South Park, and also starred in the thriller The Peacemaker with a fee of
$3 million, and in the superhero thriller Batman & Robin, earning $1 million. In the
latter, the actor played the title role. He is not proud of it now, as the film received
negative critical reviews and was named the worst superhero action movie of all time, receiving 11
nominations for the Golden Raspberry Anti-Award. In 1998, Clooney appeared in an episode of the
series Murphy Brown, and also starred in the films The Thin Red Line and Out of Sight with a
fee of 10 million dollars. In that film, the actor starred alongside Jennifer Lopez, a kiss with
whom earned him a nomination for an MTV Award.
In 1999, George starred in the action movie Three
Kings, getting 5 million dollars for his work, and the next year he appeared in the drama Fail
Safe, the thriller The Perfect Storm, which earned him 8 million dollars, and the comedy ‘O Brother,
Where Art Thou?’ with a fee of $1 million. Interestingly, for his role in the latter,
our star practiced a southern accent and took vocal lessons for several weeks, but
in the end the song in the movie was still performed by another man. His role in this
film brought Clooney his first Golden Globe. At the same period, the man broke up with
his lover Celine. It was rumored that the blonde disliked the actor's pet, which
made the couple constantly quarrel.
George didn't grieve for long, and just over
the year, the list of his passing infatuations was expanded by journalist Carole Radziwill
and actresses Traylor Howard and Lucy Liu. He was also credited with an affair with
Charlize Theron, but the celebrities never confirmed it. Clooney then had a rather
long relationship with TV host Lisa Snowdon. In 2001, the actor starred in the family fantasy
Spy Kids and in the crime movie Ocean's Eleven, in which he played the head of a criminal
gang who robbed a casino in Las Vegas. Interestingly, the actors were actually
gambling in between scenes, and George's colleagues told stories that he managed to
lose 25 games of blackjack in a row. Actually, Clooney himself has repeatedly admitted that
he likes to go to the casino, but often loses. It is also worth noting that during the
filming, a keg of beer was installed in George's dressing room, as the man is very fond
of this drink in particular. The actor received $20 million for his role in the film.
The movie appealed to the audience, and as a result there were two sequels
with Clooney in the title role: Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen. The actor
earned $15 million for his role in the latter.
In 2002, our star appeared in the films Welcome
to Collinwood, Solaris, for the role in which he was nominated for the Saturn Award, as well
as the biopic Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, making his directorial debut. The film
had a limited budget, so George's friends, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, starred in it for free.
Clooney then acted in the films Intolerable Cruelty with a fee of $15 million, and
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, the shooting of which was the most comfortable as all
the scenes with George were filmed in half a day in the living room of his own house.
Which can’t be said about the movie Syriana, released in 2005. For the role,
Clooney gained over 22 pounds on a special "pasta diet," and during the filming he
nearly lost his life by damaging his spine. Later, the actor had two surgeries and suffered
from pain for several years. Despite the unfortunate troubles, the picture was among
the best works of George and brought him an Oscar and Golden Globe Award. Our star's
fee then amounted to 350 thousand dollars. That same year, the historical drama
‘Good Night, and Good Luck’ premiered, in which Clooney not only played one of the roles,
but also acted as director and screenwriter. The budget of the film was small, so
George agreed to a token fee of $3, and also helped with fundraising for the shooting,
mortgaging his house in Los Angeles. The picture won four awards at the Venice Film Festival.
Clooney himself was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Director and Best Screenplay categories.
Meanwhile, the 5-year romance of George and Lisa came to an end. The parting
was initiated by his girlfriend, tired of the numerous adulteries, among which
were affairs with Renée Zellweger, Krista Allen, Mariella Frostrup, and Jennifer Siebel.
In 2006, Clooney starred in the war drama The Good German, and in the following
year, in the thriller Michael Clayton, for the role in which he was nominated
for many film awards, including the Oscar. At that time, the actor was in a brief
relationship with actress Linda Thompson and model Monika Jakišić. In 2007, celebrating
his birthday in a club, George met waitress Sarah Larsen, whom he fell in love with at first sight.
The couple's relationship quickly developed, the girl even accompanied the star to social events,
but a year later their affair came to an end.
In 2008, the actor appeared in Leatherheads and
Burn After Reading, and in the following year, he voiced the animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox and
starred in The Men Who Stare at Goats and Up in the Air, for his role in which he was once again
nominated for many awards, including the Oscar. During the same period, Clooney began an
affair with Italian TV host Elisabetta Canalis, 17 years younger than him. Many speculated
at the time that marriage was on the way, but the couple broke up two years later.
Meanwhile, the actor managed to star in the films The American, The Ides of March,
and The Descendants, for which he won a Golden Globe Award and a nomination for the
Screen Actors Guild Award, BAFTA, and Oscar.
In 2011, George started dating actress Stacy
Keibler. However, no one believed in the seriousness of this relationship, and even their
friends called the affair a mutually beneficial PR move. Two years later, the couple broke up.
In 2012, the thriller Argo premiered, in which the man acted as the producer, for
which he eventually won a BAFTA and an Oscar.
George also starred in the films ‘8’
and Gravity, with a fee of $20 million. In 2013, the man began dating Amal Alamuddin.
The girl, 17 years younger than him, worked as a lawyer. Despite the fact that Clooney vowed never
to get married again, a year later he proposed to his beloved. The wedding ceremony took place
in Venice and cost the celebrity $4.6 million.
Meanwhile, our hero's filmography was enriched
by The Monuments Men with a $2 million fee. He received $25 million more for the fantasy
Tomorrowland, $10 million for the dark comedy ‘Hail, Caesar!’ and $20 million for the thriller
Money Monster. In addition, the celebrity appeared in the holiday film A Very Murray Christmas.
In 2017, the 56-year-old actor became a father for the first time as his wife gave birth to twins
Ella and Alexander. Clooney never planned to have children, but now he does not feel bad about
it. After the birth of the babies, the man put his career on pause and spent all his free time
helping his wife. In an interview, he even joked that he had become a real pro at changing diapers.
In 2019, Clooney starred in the series Catch-22, and the following year, in the film The
Midnight Sky, which he also directed. For the image of a terminally ill
scientist, the actor had to lose 25 pounds.
In 2022, the man appeared in the films The Last
Movie Stars and Ticket to Paradise, and now the filming of the movie Wolves is underway.
Interestingly, George has an unusual hobby as he is fond of making shoes, which he
makes with his own hands. In an interview, the actor said that he often takes an
awl in between shots and makes shoes. In recent years, Clooney has appeared less and
less often on screen and more and more often behind the scenes, acting as a producer, director
and screenwriter. It is worth noting that our hero still does not have a named star on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame. The ceremony was supposed to take place, but the celebrity refused to come to it,
and therefore this matter still remains open.
To date, the actor's fortune is estimated
at $500 million, which he earned from film royalties and advertising contracts. At
one time, he represented such brands as Omega, Martini Vermouth, Budweiser, Fiat, Toyota,
Mercedes-Benz, and Nespresso. An advertising deal with the latter earned George $40 million.
Among other things, Clooney turned out to be a good businessman. At one time, the man,
together with his friends, started producing tequila under his own brand, Casamigos. At first
the profits were not even projected, but soon the hobby began to bring in substantial income. In
the end, a large corporation became interested in their business and bought it for $1 billion.
The actor himself is famous for his generosity. For example, in 2013 he gave 14 of
his close friends $1 million each. This way he thanked them for supporting
him at the beginning of his career.
George pays special attention to social and
charitable activities. He is a UN Goodwill Ambassador and an advocate for LGBT rights.
In 2010, the actor organized a fundraiser for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, and in
2012, he participated in a protest at the Embassy of Sudan, for which he was arrested. However, this
way he was able to draw attention to the plight of innocent children in Sudan. George also opposes
the wars in Iraq and Ukraine and is a supporter of the recognition of the Armenian genocide.
In 2017, Clooney donated $2.25 million to schools in Lebanon to educate 3,000 refugee children
from Syria, and the following year, he donated $500,000 to organizations promoting a ban on the
free sale of weapons. He also donated another million in 2020 to help medical facilities.
The celebrity owns luxury real estate. For example, in 1995, the actor bought a
mansion in Los Angeles for $2.2 million. The 7,300-square-foot house boasts a spacious
living room with a fireplace and a personal bar. It is known that after the birth of his
children Clooney built a playhouse in the garden, having spent $100,000 on it.
In 2002, George bought an 18th-century villa on Lake Como in Italy for 7 or 30 million
dollars, according to different sources. This property with 25 rooms has a special meaning
for our star because it was there that he met Amal. She ended up at Clooney's house thanks to a
mutual friend on her way to Cannes. On their way, the travelers stopped by to visit the actor.
In 2014, the couple bought a mansion on the English island of Sonning Eye on the banks of
the Thames for $13 million, and in 2016, a luxury apartment in New York City for $14.7 million.
In 2021, the Clooneys bought an estate with a winery in France for $8.3 million. The
three-story, 10,000-square-foot house has many rooms, including living rooms, kitchen and dining
room. The property features an outdoor veranda, swimming pool, tennis court, ornamental
lake, lavender garden and vineyards. The man also used to own a home in
the Mexican city of Cabo San Lucas.
George boasts an impressive collection of cars,
including a Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche, Porsche Carrera, Lexus LS, Tesla Roadster and Tango T600.
The actor has a particular passion for motorcycles. He has a Harley-Davidson, Piaggio and
Yamaha X-Max scooters. The man likes to drive fast which caused him to suffer two serious accidents.
As of today, the filmography of our hero includes about 100 films. Which George
Clooney movie do you like the most?
