George's Birthplace: Augusta, Kentucky
Where to reach George: 8817 Lookout Mountain Ave., LA, CA 90046
Stardom on "ER" has helped propel two-time Emmy nominee George Clooney to a booming career in motion pictures as well as on television. After his work on the romantic comedy "One Fine Day" with Michelle Pfeiffer and his critically acclaimed turn in Quentin Tarantino’s "From Dusk Till Dawn," Clooney took on the role of Batman in the hit motion picture "Batman and Robin." In a September 1997 project, he co-stars with Nicole Kidman in "The Peacemaker," the debut motion picture—directed by "ER" Emmy Award winner Mimi Leder—from DreamWorks SKG.
During his recent summer hiatus, Clooney traveled to Australia to film a cameo role in Terence Malick’s "The Thin Red Line." His next film role is that of a fugitive bank robber in the film adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s best-selling novel "Out of Sight."
Clooney was born in Lexington and raised in Augusta, Kentucky. He began finding his way around TV studios at age five, when his father, veteran newscaster Nick Clooney, hosted a talk show in Cincinnati. Like other members of his family, young George was asked to pitch in by selling products and playing sketch characters.
At first, Clooney wanted to emulate his dad and became a broadcast journalist, but he later decided he did not want to compete in the same arena. He studied for a few years at Northern Kentucky University. An excellent baseball player, he also tried out for the Cincinnati Reds, hoping to fulfill a lifelong dream of playing for the team.
At last, 21-year-old Clooney found his calling when his best friend and cousin, Miguel Ferrer (singer Rosemary Clooney is George’s aunt and Miguel’s mother), came to Lexington and helped him earn a part in a small feature film. Clooney arrived in California in 1982 and spent the next year unemployed, sleeping in a friend’s closet and bicycling to auditions. After he completed an unreleased feature with Charlie Sheen, an ABC casting executive signed Clooney to a contract. When it expired, he joined the cast of the comedy "E/R" (starring Elliott Gould and Mary McDonnell) at midseason.
During the intervening years before he joined "ER," Clooney starred in a slew of pilots and popped up on "The Facts of Life" (as a neighbor), "Roseanne" (as Roseanne’s boss), "Sunset Beat" (as a cop moonlighting as a rock star), "Baby Talk" (as a construction worker), "Bodies of Evidence" (as a cop), and "Sisters" (as Detective Falconer). Cast as the charming and talented Dr. Ross, Clooney had the opportunity to play a role that took his career in a new direction. On stage he has appeared in 15 plays, including a starring role in the award-winning "Vicious" at Chicago’s renowned Steppenwolf Theater in 1987.
Away from the set, Clooney is an avid golfer and a devoted Cincinnati Reds and Bengals fan. He also enjoys collecting motorcycles and playing basketball. His birthday is May 6.
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