George Clooney swore that he would never marry again… Then he married the Lebanese Amal Alamuddin
Today marks the birthday of American star George Clooney, who was born on May 6, 1961, in Lexington, Kentucky. Clooney spent most of his youth in Ohio and Kentucky, and graduated from Augusta High School. He was very active in sports such as basketball and baseball, and tried to play with a team. Cincinnati Reds, but was not offered a contract.
After his cousin, Miguel Ferrer, landed a small role in a feature film, Clooney began to pursue acting. His first major role was in the sitcom E/R (1984) as Ace, and more roles soon followed, including ER (1994) Award-winning film, opposite Anthony Edwards, Noah Wyle, and Julianna Margulies.
While filming ER (1994), Clooney starred in a number of notable film roles, such as From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), directed by Robert Rodriguez, and One Fine Day (1996), opposite Michelle Pfeiffer. In 1997, Clooney took on the role of Batman in Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin (1997). The film was a moderate success at the box office, but was harshly panned by critics, particularly the nipple-laden Batsuit. Clooney went on to star in Steven Soderbergh’s Out of Sight (1998), Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line (1998), and David O. Russell’s Three Kings (1999).
In 1999, Clooney left ER (1994) (although he would return at the end of the season) and appeared in a number of films, including O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), The Perfect Storm (2000) and Ocean’s Eleven (2001). Again teaming with Steven Soderbergh, Ocean’s Eleven (2001) received critical acclaim, grossed over $450 million at the box office, and spawned two sequels: Ocean’s Twelve (2004) and Ocean’s Thirteen (2007).
In 2002, Clooney made his directorial debut with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), an adaptation of the autobiography of television producer Chuck Barris. This was the first film under the banner of Section Eight Productions, a production company he founded with Steven Soderbergh. The company also produced many famous films, including “Far From Heaven” (2002), “Syriana” (2005), “Scanner Dark” (2006), and “Good Night, Good Luck” (2005).
Clooney won his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Syriana (2005), and was nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005).
Clooney was married to actress Talia Balsam from 1989 to 1993. After their divorce, he swore he would never marry again. Michelle Pfeiffer and Nicole Kidman bet him $10,000 that he would have children by the age of 40, and sent him a check shortly after his birthday. Clooney returned the money and bet double or nothing that he would not have children before the age of 50. Although he has remained completely celibate, Clooney has had several highly publicized relationships, including with former WWE wrestler Stacy Keibler. In 2014, he married Lebanese-British lawyer and activist Amal Alamuddin, with whom he has two twin children. .
