Hollywood
Filmmaker and human rights activist: George Clooney turns 61
George Clooney now prefers to work behind the camera. Photo: Ian West/PA Wire/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Initially, George Clooney had to settle for a rocky start to his career, rather he took off in the 1990s and became a world-renowned actor.
In February, George Clooney and his wife Amal were recognized for their tireless work on human rights. On their YouTube account, the couple thanked them for the “Elevate Prize Catalyst Award 2022”. This Friday (May 6th) the Hollywood star will be 61 years old.
Tough years until the breakthrough
George Clooney, who was born in Kentucky in 1961 into a well-known family – his father Joseph “Nick” Clooney was a TV presenter and his aunt Rosemary one of the most popular pop and jazz interpreters in the USA of the 50s – got involved Difficult early in his career. It’s hard to believe given the success he’s celebrating these days.
His first engagements in film and television came in the 1980s. But mostly it was second-rate productions and only extra roles. Except for his participation in the sitcom “Roseanne”, he had little success. Through the series he gained at least some notoriety in the United States.
Success from the 1990s
His popularity increased with his involvement as a pediatrician in the hospital series “Emergency Room” in the 1990s. As a smart, masculine guy, he convinced in the vampire horror film “From Dusk Till Dawn” (1996). However, he would prefer to erase his guest appearance in Batman & Robin from his memory.
Doesn’t matter. Over the next few years, Clooney showed his versatility with regularity. He won the 2006 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the thriller Syriana for his performance as a CIA agent caught in the crosshairs of terrorists.
In the same year he played a journalist in post-war Germany in Steven Soderbergh’s black-and-white thriller The Good German. Two years later he was seen as a professional footballer in “A Tempting Game”. Clooney has appeared in numerous major productions throughout his career. 2001 in “Oceans Eleven”, 2013 in the space thriller “Gravity” or 2020 in “The Midnight Sky”.
He has also appeared regularly as a producer and director since 1999. With “Kilroy” he celebrated his debut as a screenwriter. In 2002 he made his debut as a director with «Confessions – Confessions of a Dangerous Mind».
Barack Obama supporters and influence in Sudan
As a staunch opponent of the war, he publicly criticized former US President George W. Bush. He supported Barack Obama in the 2012 election campaign with donations of up to 15 million US dollars, which he raised through donation dinners. He has been involved in South Sudan since 2010 with his project “Satellite Sentinel”, an early warning system for human rights violations. In 2013 he was awarded the German Media Prize for this.
Since September 2021 he has been married to British-Lebanese lawyer and human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, who provides humanitarian and legal aid worldwide. The couple have twins together.