Early Life and Education of George Clooney: A Complete Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of George Clooney. A timeline of key moments.

George Clooney is a highly acclaimed American actor and filmmaker celebrated 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 received nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award. Clooney's contributions to the film industry have been further acknowledged through prestigious honors such as the Cecil B. DeMille Award (2015), the Honorary César (2017), the AFI Life Achievement Award (2018), and the Kennedy Center Honor (2022).

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1977: Tryout for the Cincinnati Reds

In 1977, George Clooney tried out for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team.

1987: Relationship with Kelly Preston Begins

In 1987, George Clooney began dating actress Kelly Preston. During their relationship, he purchased a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig named Max for Preston as a gift.

1989: Marriage to Talia Balsam

In 1989, George Clooney married actress Talia Balsam.

1989: Relationship with Kelly Preston Ends

In 1989, George Clooney's relationship with Kelly Preston ended. Clooney kept Max, the pot-bellied pig, after the breakup.

1993: Divorce from Talia Balsam

In 1993, George Clooney divorced actress Talia Balsam.

1995: Dating Cameron Diaz and Frances Fisher

In 1995, George Clooney dated actresses Cameron Diaz and Frances Fisher.

1995: Purchase of Los Angeles Property

In 1995, George Clooney purchased a 7,354-square-foot house in Los Angeles through his George Guilfoyle Trust.

1996: Relationship with Céline Balitran

In 1996, George Clooney started dating French reality TV personality Céline Balitran. The relationship continued until 1999.

1999: End of relationship with Céline Balitran

In 1999, George Clooney's relationship with French reality TV personality Céline Balitran ended.

2000: Linked to Charlize Theron and Lucy Liu

In 2000, George Clooney was linked to actresses Charlize Theron and Lucy Liu. He also met British model Lisa Snowdon in the same year, leading to a five-year on-again, off-again relationship.

2001: Dating Renée Zellweger

In 2001, George Clooney dated Renée Zellweger.

2002: Dating Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Krista Allen

In 2002, George Clooney dated Jennifer Siebel Newsom and started a relationship with Krista Allen which lasted until 2008.

April 2006: Advocacy for Darfur conflict resolution

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 aimed to reflect the plight of Darfur's refugees and advocate for action regarding the Darfur conflict.

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2006: Dating Linda Thompson

In 2006, George Clooney dated Linda Thompson.

2006: Death of Max the Pig

In 2006, Max, George Clooney's pot-bellied pig, died. Clooney had kept Max for 18 years after his relationship with Kelly Preston ended.

2006: Remarks at the Golden Globe Awards

In 2006, at the 63rd Golden Globe Awards, George Clooney sarcastically thanked Jack Abramoff and made a humorous comment about his name.

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 due to Sudan President Omar al-Bashir's lack of response to UN resolutions.

June 2007: Relationship with Sarah Larson Begins

In June 2007, George Clooney started dating reality personality Sarah Larson. This relationship ended in May 2008.

September 21, 2007: Motorcycle Accident

On September 21, 2007, George Clooney and his then-girlfriend Sarah Larson were injured in a motorcycle accident in Weehawken, New Jersey, when his motorcycle was hit by a car.

October 9, 2007: Medical Records Breach

On October 9, 2007, more than two dozen staff at Palisades Medical Center were suspended without pay for looking at George Clooney's medical records in violation of federal law.

November 2007: Appearance in Darfur Now

In November 2007, George Clooney appeared in the documentary film Darfur Now, a call-to-action film urging people worldwide to help stop the Darfur crisis.

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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 work on Darfur.

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.

May 2008: Relationship with Sarah Larson Ends

In May 2008, George Clooney and reality personality Sarah Larson broke up.

2008: Continued Darfur Advocacy

In 2008, George Clooney continued his advocacy for resolving the Darfur conflict. The documentary "A Journey to Darfur" was released on DVD, with sale proceeds donated to the International Rescue Committee. In September, Clooney addressed the UN Security Council with Elie Wiesel, urging action to resolve the conflict and aid the people of Darfur.

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2008: Support for Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign

In 2008, George Clooney supported Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

February 2009: Visit to Goz Beida, Chad

In February 2009, George Clooney visited Goz Beida, Chad, with New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof.

July 2009: Relationship with Elisabetta Canalis Begins

In July 2009, George Clooney was in a relationship with Italian actress Elisabetta Canalis. This relationship ended in June 2011.

January 2010: Organization of 'Hope for Haiti Now' Telethon

In January 2010, George Clooney organized the "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon to collect donations for the 2010 Haiti earthquake victims.

October 2010: Initiation of Satellite Sentinel Project

After an October 2010 trip to South Sudan, George Clooney, with John Prendergast, conceived of and initiated the Satellite Sentinel Project (SSP) to monitor armed activity and detect mass atrocities along the border regions between Sudan and South Sudan.

May 2011: Op-ed on Sudan

In May 2011, George Clooney and John Prendergast co-wrote a Washington Post op-ed piece titled "Dancing with a dictator in Sudan", arguing their views on the situation.

June 2011: Relationship with Elisabetta Canalis Ends

In June 2011, George Clooney's relationship with Italian actress Elisabetta Canalis ended.

July 2011: Relationship with Stacy Keibler Begins

In July 2011, George Clooney started dating former WWE personnel Stacy Keibler. This relationship ended in July 2013.

March 2012: Performance in '8' Play

In March 2012, George Clooney starred with 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.

March 16, 2012: Arrested at Sudanese Embassy Protest

On March 16, 2012, George Clooney was arrested outside the Sudanese Embassy for civil disobedience during a planned protest against Omar al-Bashir's regime.

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).

2012: Support for Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign

In 2012, George Clooney supported Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

July 2013: Relationship with Stacy Keibler Ends

In July 2013, George Clooney and Stacy Keibler ended their relationship.

2013: Co-founding Casamigos Tequila

In 2013, George Clooney co-founded Casamigos Tequila with Rande Gerber and Michael Meldman.

April 28, 2014: Engagement to Amal Alamuddin

On April 28, 2014, George Clooney became engaged to British-Lebanese human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin.

July 2014: Public criticism of the Daily Mail

In July 2014, George Clooney publicly criticized the British tabloid newspaper the Daily Mail for a false story about his fiancée's mother opposing their marriage, and refused to accept their apology.

August 7, 2014: Marriage License

On August 7, 2014, George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin obtained marriage licenses at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea of the United Kingdom.

September 27, 2014: Marriage to Amal Alamuddin

On September 27, 2014, George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin were officially married at Ca' Farsetti in Venice, Italy, by Walter Veltroni.

2014: Purchase of Mill House

In 2014, George Clooney and his wife Amal Alamuddin bought the Grade II listed Mill House on an island in the River Thames at Sonning Eye in Oxfordshire, England.

2014: Rejection of apology from the Daily Mail

In 2014, George Clooney had rejected an apology from the Daily Mail for printing a false story, calling the Mail the "worst kind of tabloid."

May 2015: Statement on Syrian Conflict

In May 2015, George Clooney stated to the BBC that the Syrian conflict was too politically complicated to get involved in, and he preferred to focus on assisting refugees.

2015: Adoption of Millie

In 2015, George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin adopted a rescue dog, a Basset Hound named Millie, from the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society.

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. Following this, they met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to express gratitude for Germany's open-door policy towards refugees.

April 2016: Armenian Genocide Commemoration Visit

In April 2016, George Clooney visited Armenia to commemorate the 101st anniversary of the Armenian genocide as part of the 100 Lives Initiative.

2016: Endorsement of Hillary Clinton for President

In 2016, George Clooney endorsed Hillary Clinton for the presidential election.

February 9, 2017: Announcement of Amal Clooney's pregnancy

On February 9, 2017, the CBS talk show, The Talk, reported that Amal Clooney was pregnant with twins.

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June 6, 2017: Birth of twins

On June 6, 2017, Amal Clooney gave birth to a daughter and a son.

June 2017: Sale of 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 based on future performance.

2017: Attended The Promise premiere

In 2017, George Clooney attended the film premiere for The Promise, a movie about the Armenian genocide.

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July 10, 2018: Motorcycle Accident in Sardinia

On July 10, 2018, George Clooney was hit by a car while riding a motorcycle to a film set in Sardinia. He was hospitalized with minor injuries.

2018: Pledge to March for Our Lives

In 2018, following the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, George and Amal Clooney pledged $500,000 to the March for Our Lives and announced their attendance.

March 28, 2019: Call to Boycott Hotels in Brunei

On March 28, 2019, George Clooney wrote an open letter calling for a boycott of the Sultan of Brunei's hotels due to a new law punishing homosexual sex and adultery with death by stoning.

April 3, 2019: Brunei's law punishing homosexual sex and adultery with death

On April 3, 2019, a new law came into force in Brunei that punishes homosexual sex and adultery with death by stoning. George Clooney was urging for boycott of the Sultan of Brunei's hotels over this new law.

July 2020: Fundraiser for Joe Biden

In July 2020, George Clooney endorsed Joe Biden for the 2020 presidential election and hosted a virtual fundraiser for him with Barack Obama.

2020: Twins Speak Italian

In 2020, George Clooney revealed on talk shows that his twins can speak Italian fluently, despite neither he nor Amal speaking the language.

May 2021: Plans to buy a vineyard in France

In May 2021, it was reported that George Clooney plans to buy a vineyard near the village of Brignoles, in France, which includes an 18th-century manor with its own swimming pool and a tennis court.

November 2021: Op-Ed Petitioning Against Publishing Photos of Children

In November 2021, George Clooney wrote an op-ed to British tabloid The Daily Mail, petitioning them to stop publishing photos of his children due to safety concerns related to his wife's work as an international lawyer.

July 2024: Call for Biden to Withdraw from 2024 Election

In a July 2024 op-ed for The New York Times, George Clooney called for Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election, citing his performance in a debate and concerns about his age.