George Clooney—The star with a cause

George Clooney

There’s no question that George Clooney is one of the best and most popular actors of his generation. With a career that spanned since the 1980s, Clooney’s name is associated not only with high-profile, top-grossing films, but also with critically-acclaimed performances that garnered him the adulation of both fans and critics. Clooney also parlayed his popularity to supporting various causes. In fact, Clooney’s political activism led to his appointment as one of the United Nations Messengers of Peace in 2008.

George Timothy Clooney was born in Lexington, Kentucky on May 6, 1961. His mother is Nina Bruce (née Warren), who was a former beauty title holder. His father, Nick Clooney, is a former anchorman, game show and American Movie Classics host.

Clooney is related to some of the biggest names in show business. His aunt was the famous singer Rosemary Clooney. She married the Oscar-winner Jose Ferrer and they had two sons, actors Miguel and Rafael Ferrer.

Clooney started his acting career in 1978 when he debuted on TV. But it was until he landed the role Dr. Douglas Ross in the long-running medical drama ER (1994-1999) that he achieved worldwide fame. His role earned him two Emmy Award nominations.

Clooney’s popularity on TV helped him establish his image as a movie actor. While starring on ER, he also played the lead role in Batman & Robin (1997). In 1998, he started collaborating with Steven Soderbergh in Out of Sight (1998).

In 1999, Clooney starred in Three Kings, a successful war satire set during the Gulf War.

In 2001, Clooney starred in one of the biggest hits of his career, Ocean's Eleven, the first installment of the blockbuster trilogy. The film was actually a remake of the film from 1960 played by Rat Pack members and top billed by with Frank Sinatra, who played Danny Ocean.

In 2002, Clooney made his directorial debut with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.  This was followed by Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), Leatherheads (2008), and The Ides of March (2011).

By the mid-2000s, Clooney’s performances were already well received by the awards circuit. In 2005, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the Mid-East thriller Syriana (2005). He would bag three more Oscar nominations (for Best Actor) for his roles in Michael Clayton (2007), Up in the Air (2009) and The Descendants (2011).

Read: George Clooney's Compelling Performance in The Descendants Honored at 69th Golden Globes

In 2013, together with Ben Affleck and Grant Heslov, Clooney won the Academy Award for Best Picture as producer the film Argo. So far, Clooney is the first and only individual to have garnered Academy Award nominations in six different categories.

TV Guide placed Clooney #1 on its list of "50 Sexiest Stars of All Time" in 2005.

Clooney’s political activism and humanitarian works led him to help resolve the Darfur conflict, raise money for the victims 9/11 victims, 2004 Tsunami, and 2010 Earthquake in Haiti. He has also created documentaries such as Sand and Sorrow to spread awareness about international crises. Clooney also sits at the Council on Foreign Relations.