Rise to Success: Career Highlights of George Clooney
Discover the career path of George Clooney, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
George Clooney is a highly acclaimed American actor, filmmaker, and philanthropist. Renowned for his leading roles in both mainstream and independent cinema, he has garnered significant recognition, including two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and four Golden Globe Awards. He has also been nominated for multiple Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award. Clooney's contributions to the entertainment industry have been further acknowledged through prestigious honors such as the Cecil B. DeMille Award, the Honorary César, the AFI Life Achievement Award, and the Kennedy Center Honor.
1977: Tryout for Cincinnati Reds
In 1977, George Clooney tried out for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team.
April 2006: Journey to Darfur TV Special
In April 2006, George Clooney spent ten days in Chad and Sudan with his father to film the TV special 'A Journey to Darfur,' which highlighted the plight of Darfur's refugees and advocated for action. The documentary was broadcast on American cable TV, as well as in the UK and France.
August 2006: Starts Smokehouse Pictures
In August 2006, George Clooney and Grant Heslov started the production company Smokehouse Pictures.
October 2006: American Cinematheque Award
In October 2006, George Clooney received the American Cinematheque Award for his significant contributions to motion pictures.
March 25, 2007: Open Letter to Angela Merkel
On March 25, 2007, George Clooney sent an open letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, urging the European Union to take decisive action in the Darfur region, citing the failure of Sudan President Omar al-Bashir to respond to UN resolutions.
November 2007: Appearance in Darfur Now
In November 2007, George Clooney appeared in the documentary film 'Darfur Now', which was a call-to-action film released for people all over the world to help stop the Darfur crisis.
December 2007: Summit Peace Award
In December 2007, George Clooney and Don Cheadle received the Summit Peace Award from the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in Rome for their advocacy work regarding the Darfur crisis. Clooney acknowledged their efforts as 'failures' in his acceptance speech.
January 18, 2008: Appointment as UN Messenger of Peace
On January 18, 2008, the United Nations announced George Clooney's appointment as a UN Messenger of Peace, effective January 31. This role was to support the UN's efforts in conflict resolution and peacekeeping.
January 22, 2008: Academy Award Nomination
On January 22, 2008, George Clooney was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in "Michael Clayton", but he lost to Daniel Day-Lewis, who won for "There Will Be Blood".
April 4, 2008: Resignation from the Writers Guild of America
On April 4, 2008, it was reported that George Clooney had resigned from the Writers Guild of America over a dispute concerning "Leatherheads". He withdrew after losing an arbitration vote regarding writing credit for the film.
2008: Supported Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign
In 2008, George Clooney supported Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
2008: Darfur documentary released on DVD
In 2008, the documentary 'A Journey to Darfur' was released on DVD, with the proceeds from the sales being donated to the International Rescue Committee, to further aid their humanitarian work.
February 2009: Visited Goz Beida, Chad
In February 2009, George Clooney visited Goz Beida, Chad, with New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof.
November 2009: Releases and Voices Films
In November 2009, George Clooney starred in "The Men Who Stare at Goats" and voiced the title character in "Fantastic Mr. Fox".
December 25, 2009: Wide Release of Up in the Air
On December 25, 2009, the comedy-drama "Up in the Air", starring George Clooney, was given a wide release. His performance was highly praised, with many considering it an awards contender.
January 2010: Organized Hope for Haiti Now Telethon
In January 2010, George Clooney organized the telethon "Hope for Haiti Now", which collected donations for the 2010 Haiti earthquake victims.
October 2010: Initiation of Satellite Sentinel Project
In October 2010, George Clooney, along with John Prendergast, initiated the Satellite Sentinel Project (SSP) following a trip to South Sudan. The SSP aims to monitor armed activity for signs of renewed civil war between Sudan and South Sudan and to detect and deter mass atrocities along the border regions.
May 2011: Op-ed in Washington Post
In May 2011, George Clooney and John Prendergast co-wrote an op-ed piece in the Washington Post titled 'Dancing with a dictator in Sudan', where they argued about...
2011: Stars in The Descendants and Receives Accolades
In 2011, George Clooney starred in "The Descendants", earning critical acclaim and winning the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. He also received multiple nominations for other awards. Clooney was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for "The Ides of March".
March 2012: Performance in Dustin Lance Black's play 8
In March 2012, George Clooney starred alongside Martin Sheen and Brad Pitt in a performance of Dustin Lance Black's play 8, a staged reenactment of the federal trial that overturned California's Prop 8 ban on same-sex marriage. Clooney played attorney David Boies in the production, which was held at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre and broadcast on YouTube to raise money for the American Foundation for Equal Rights.
March 16, 2012: Arrested Outside Sudanese Embassy
On March 16, 2012, George Clooney was arrested outside the Sudanese Embassy for civil disobedience during a planned protest. Several other prominent participants, including Martin Luther King III, were also arrested. Clooney has been noted as a vocal critic of Omar al-Bashir.
September 2012: Auction Lunch for GLSEN
In September 2012, George Clooney offered to take an auction winner out to lunch to benefit the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). GLSEN aims to create a safe space in schools for children who are or may be perceived to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.
2012: Supported Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign
In 2012, George Clooney supported Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
2013: Co-founded Casamigos Tequila
In 2013, George Clooney co-founded Casamigos Tequila with Rande Gerber and Michael Meldman.
2013: Produced August: Osage County
In 2013, George Clooney produced August: Osage County, an adaptation of the play of the same name, starring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.
2013: Wins Awards for Producing Argo and Stars in Gravity
In 2013, George Clooney won the Golden Globe Award, the BAFTA Award, and the Academy Award for Best Picture for producing "Argo". He also co-starred with Sandra Bullock in "Gravity".
2014: Releases The Monuments Men
In 2014, George Clooney co-wrote, directed, and starred in "The Monuments Men", which was based on the book "The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History" by Robert M. Edsel. The film received negative reviews and was a box office failure.
May 2015: Focus on Syrian Refugees
In May 2015, George Clooney told the BBC that the Syrian conflict was too complicated politically to get involved in, and he wanted to focus on helping the refugees.
2015: Stars in Tomorrowland and A Very Murray Christmas
In 2015, George Clooney starred in "Tomorrowland" as Frank Walker and appeared as himself in the Netflix Christmas musical comedy "A Very Murray Christmas".
2015: Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award
In 2015, George Clooney was awarded the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his significant contributions to the entertainment industry.
February 2016: Stars in Hail, Caesar!
In February 2016, George Clooney starred in "Hail, Caesar!", a comedy by the Coen brothers, portraying Baird Whitlock, a kidnapped film star.
March 2016: Meeting with Syrian Refugees and Angela Merkel
In March 2016, George Clooney and his wife Amal met with Syrian refugees living in Berlin to mark the fifth anniversary of the conflict, and subsequently met with German chancellor Angela Merkel to thank her for Germany's open-door policy regarding refugees.
April 2016: Commemoration of Armenian Genocide Anniversary
In April 2016, George Clooney visited Armenia to commemorate the 101st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. He supports the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and is a chief associate of the 100 Lives Initiative and launched the Aurora Prize.
2016: Endorsed Hillary Clinton
In 2016, George Clooney endorsed Hillary Clinton for the presidential election.
June 2017: Sells Casamigos Tequila
In June 2017, Casamigos Tequila, co-founded by George Clooney, was sold to Diageo for $700 million, with a possible additional $300 million depending on future performance.
October 2017: Suburbicon Release
In October 2017, George Clooney's directorial project "Suburbicon", a 1950s-set crime comedy, was released.
June 1, 2018: Highest-Paid Actor
According to Forbes, George Clooney was the world's highest-paid actor for 2017–2018, earning $239 million between June 1, 2017, and June 1, 2018.
June 7, 2018: Receives AFI Life Achievement Award
On June 7, 2018, George Clooney received the 2018 AFI Life Achievement Award, presented by Shirley MacLaine.
2018: Pledge to March for Our Lives
In 2018, following the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, the Clooneys pledged $500,000 to the March for Our Lives and said they would be in attendance to support the cause.
March 28, 2019: Call to Boycott Sultan of Brunei's Hotels
On March 28, 2019, George Clooney wrote an open letter calling for the boycott of the Sultan of Brunei's hotels over a new law set to come into force on April 3, 2019, that punishes homosexual sex and adultery with death by stoning.
April 3, 2019: Law punishing homosexual sex and adultery with death by stoning came into force
The new law in Brunei that punishes homosexual sex and adultery with death by stoning came into force on April 3, 2019. George Clooney called for boycott of the Sultan of Brunei's hotels.
May 31, 2019: Catch-22 Premieres
On May 31, 2019, the Hulu historical miniseries "Catch-22", starring, directing, and producing George Clooney, premiered to critical acclaim.
July 2020: Hosted Virtual Fundraiser for Joe Biden
In July 2020, George Clooney hosted a virtual fundraiser for Joe Biden with Barack Obama.
August 7, 2020: Donation to Lebanese Charities
On August 7, 2020, George and Amal Clooney donated $100,000 to three Lebanese charities: the Lebanese Red Cross, Impact Lebanon, and Baytna Baytak, after Beirut was devastated by an explosion that killed at least 145 people and injured over 5,000.
February 2021: Smokehouse Pictures to Produce Docuseries
In February 2021, it was reported that George Clooney's Smokehouse Pictures would team with Sports Illustrated Studios and 101 Studios to produce a docuseries about the Ohio State University abuse scandal.
December 22, 2021: The Tender Bar Nationwide Premiere
On December 22, 2021, "The Tender Bar", directed by George Clooney and based on the memoir by J. R. Moehringer, had its nationwide premiere.
January 7, 2022: The Tender Bar Streaming Release
On January 7, 2022, "The Tender Bar", directed by George Clooney, began streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
June 2022: HBO Announces Surviving Ohio State Documentary
In June 2022, HBO announced that production had started on a feature-length documentary film titled "Surviving Ohio State" based on the Ohio State University abuse scandal.
October 21, 2022: Ticket to Paradise Theatrical Release
Ticket to Paradise, the romantic comedy film starring George Clooney, was released in theatres on October 21, 2022.
December 25, 2023: The Boys in the Boat Released
On December 25, 2023, George Clooney's film as a director, the biographical sports drama "The Boys in the Boat" was released, receiving mixed reviews.
2023: Nominated for Academy Awards in six categories
As of 2023, George Clooney is one of four people to have been nominated for Academy Awards in six different categories.
2024: Wolfs Premieres
In 2024, George Clooney re-teamed with Brad Pitt for the Apple TV+ thriller film "Wolfs", which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival to positive reviews.
2025: Broadway Debut in Good Night, and Good Luck
In 2025, George Clooney made his Broadway debut as an actor in the stage adaption of "Good Night, and Good Luck", portraying Edward R. Murrow.
2025: Theatre World Award
In 2025, George Clooney was honored with a Theatre World Award for his performance in Good Night, and Good Luck on Broadway.
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