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At 65, George Clooney belongs to a rare group of Hollywood actors whose names have become globally synonymous with movie stardom, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.
Known for his dark good looks, natural charm and on-screen charisma, Clooney has often been compared with Hollywood legend Cary Grant. Tony Gilroy, who directed him in the 2007 thriller Michael Clayton, once described Clooney as one of the greatest movie stars ever.
The Venice Film Festival honoured Clooney with a lifetime achievement award on Wednesday, recognizing his decades-long career as an actor, filmmaker, producer and activist.
Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera said Clooney could not be defined simply by his appearance and charm, praising him as a “tremendous actor” who has also taken courageous positions on social and political issues.
Despite his status today, Clooney’s rise to Hollywood stardom was far from immediate. The son of a local television host from Kentucky, he moved to Los Angeles in 1984 on the advice of his actor cousin Miguel Ferrer.
For about a decade, Clooney struggled to find major roles, appearing in numerous television projects and shooting 15 pilots for shows that were never produced.
His career changed dramatically in 1994 when he was cast as charismatic doctor Doug Ross in NBC’s medical drama ER. The series became a major ratings success and ran for 15 years.
Clooney spent five seasons on the show before turning down a contract renegotiation to pursue a career in movies.
His first major film role, however, was hardly a success. He played Batman in 1997’s Batman & Robin, which was heavily criticized.
Reflecting on the film at the Venice ceremony, Clooney joked that his two children are among the few people who think he was good in it.
He began rebuilding his film career with Steven Soderbergh’s 1998 crime thriller Out of Sight, in which he starred opposite Jennifer Lopez.
The 2000s then brought a string of successes, including the Coen brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? in 2000 and Soderbergh’s Ocean’s trilogy, in which Clooney starred alongside Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Julia Roberts.
Clooney also established a production company with Soderbergh, expanding his influence behind the camera.
In 2005, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Syriana. He later co-produced Argo, which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2013, and starred alongside Sandra Bullock in Gravity, one of the most acclaimed and commercially successful space films of the 21st century.
He made his directorial debut in 2002 with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and subsequently directed several other films
Clooney’s public profile has also extended beyond cinema. From the 2000s, he became increasingly involved in humanitarian campaigns, particularly over the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, where he raised international awareness of atrocities against civilians.
In 2014, he married human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, now Amal Clooney. The couple later established the Clooney Foundation for Justice, which works on human rights and freedom of expression.
Clooney has also been an outspoken supporter of Democratic politicians, including former US presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, making him an increasingly prominent figure in American political and social debates.
After obtaining French citizenship in late 2025 and moving to France with his family, Clooney was criticized by US President Donald Trump, who mocked the actor’s political involvement and dismissed his film career.
Now, with a lifetime achievement award from Venice, Clooney’s career stands as a rare combination of movie-star fame, acting success, filmmaking, philanthropy and political activism.