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George Timothy Clooney (born May 6 , 1961 ) is an Academy Award -winning American Actor , Director and Screenwriter , known for his former role in the long-running television drama '' ER '' (1994–99) and his rise as an " A-List " Movie Star in contemporary American Cinema . His first recurring role was "Booker" on hit sit-com series "Roseanne". FAMILY LIFE Born in Lexington, Kentucky and raised in Augusta, Kentucky , Clooney is the son of Nina Bruce Warren and Cincinnati news anchor and TV host Nick Clooney . His paternal aunt is actress and singer Rosemary Clooney , and he is the cousin of actor Miguel Ferrer ; another cousin, Gabriel Ferrer (married to Debby Boone ), is an Episcopal priest. George wanted to be an Episcopal priest also, but declined when they told him he had to swear off booze and women. Between 1989 and 1993 he was married to actress Talia Balsam , the daughter of actor Martin Balsam . Clooney is a strong supporter of the Democratic Party and is of mostly Irish American heritage, although he also has some distant German ancestry. He currently has a villa on Lake Como in Italy , where he spends much of his time.George Clooney also has a small villa in Lema, Peru. FILM CAREER Clooney got his start in Los Angeles , a young college dropout from Kentucky who spent most of his "struggling actor" years riding to auditions on a bicycle. Nonetheless, his career soon took off. His first major role was in the short lived television medical comedy/drama, '' E/R '' (not to be confused with the much later "ER" of the mid '90s). Additionally, he played a handyman on the series '' The Facts Of Life ''. His first significant break was a semi-regular supporting role in the sitcom '' Roseanne '', playing Roseanne Barr 's overbearing boss Booker Brooks. Another early appearance was in 1988's '' Return Of The Killer Tomatoes ''. Clooney would achieve stardom when he was selected to play Dr. Doug Ross on the NBC hit drama '' ER ''. In 1987 he was also in the film '' Combat Academy ''. Prior to his success on '' ER '', he befriended another actor named Grant Heslov , a close friend and frequent collaborator with whom Clooney later co-wrote '' Good Night, And Good Luck ''. Heslov is also the president of Section 8 Entertainment, Clooney's and director Steven Soderbergh 's production company. Clooney said in an interview that he was driving an RV through the country with Heslov, (who was getting over a broken engagement), when he got a phone call from his agent telling him that NBC just picked up ''ER'' for a full season. Clooney said, "I think I just got my career." Clooney has hence starred in movies such as '' From Dusk Till Dawn '' (1996) (the film that virtually propelled him into A-list status), '' One Fine Day '' (1996), '' Batman & Robin '' (1997), '' Out Of Sight '' (1998), '' 3 Kings '' (1999), '' The Perfect Storm '' (2000), '' O Brother, Where Art Thou? '' (2000), '' Ocean's Eleven '' (2001), '' Welcome To Collinwood '' (2002), '' Intolerable Cruelty '' (2003), and '' Ocean's Twelve '' (2004), along with guest appearances on sitcoms such as '' Roseanne '' and '' Friends ''. He made his debut as a Film Director in the 2002 feature '' Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind '', an adaptation of the autobiography of TV producer Chuck Barris . In 1995, Clooney received a tape version of ''''. (However, this was after Clooney said that he would have been offended if he weren't made fun of in the film ). Many speculated he would follow the same career path as David Caruso who infamously left '' N.Y.P.D. Blue '' at the height of its success for a failed screen career. As a stipulation in a new contract, Clooney would have to return to the series in an occasional guest spot, which he only had to do once when his film career ignited. On January 31 , the nominees for the the 2006 Academy Awards were announced. Clooney was nominated for Achievement in Directing and Original Screenplay for '' Good Night, And Good Luck '' and Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role for '' Syriana ''. He became the first person in Oscar history to be nominated for directing one movie and acting in another in the same year. Clooney was also nominated for the David Lean Award for Achievement in Directing by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts BAFTA for '' Good Night, And Good Luck ''. Clooney's portrayal of Bob Barnes in '' Syriana '' won him a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role and an Academy Award For Best Supporting Actor . His character, and story of '' Syriana '', are based loosely on former CIA agent Robert Baer and his memoirs of being an agent in the Middle East . Clooney has said that he plans to devote more of his energies to directing, after the success of '' Good Night, And Good Luck ''. On directing, Clooney said it's a great industry to grow old in, as he felt acting wasn't. He will next appear onscreen in '' The Good German '' which is directed by frequent collaborator Steven Soderbergh . In 2001, Soderbergh and Clooney set up the movie production studio Section Eight Productions . OTHER VENTURES On July 8 , 2005 , news reports said that George Clooney, Brad Pitt , and Matt Damon will be working with Cindy Crawford 's husband Rande Gerber to design and build a new casino hotel in Las Vegas. On August 29 , 2005 , Clooney officially announced his involvement with the Las Ramblas Resort project. After serving as pitchman outside the U.S. for products like Fiat and Martini, Clooney lent his voice to a series of Budweiser ads beginning in 2005. Clooney had been criticized by actor Russell Crowe for such extracurricular pursuits. Clooney responded by criticizing Crowe's frequent endorsements of his rock and roll band. POLITICS Mr. Clooney is a self-professed political "liberal." Clooney's Father, Nick, ran as a Democrat in the 2004 Election for a seat in the House Of Representatives representing Kentucky's 4th Congressional District . He challenged Republican Geoff Davis for the open seat. Many observers, citing the star power and funding that Clooney's famous son would be able to draw, rated the race as highly competitive, and it quickly gained a high profile as one of few seriously contested House races. Clooney lost the election, gaining 44% of the vote to Davis's 54%. The conservative demographics of the northern Kentucky Fourth District, which were at odds with Clooney's mostly Liberal leanings, have been cited as a major reason for Nick Clooney's loss. Along with his public criticisms of Jack Abramoff and other Republicans , Clooney once remarked, " Charlton Heston announced again today that he is suffering from Alzheimer's ." When asked if he went too far with his comment, he said, "I don't care. Charlton Heston is the head of the National Rifle Association . He deserves whatever anyone says about him." {Link without Title} Speaking about the 2003 Iraq war: "You can't beat your enemy anymore through wars; instead you create an entire generation of people revenge-seeking. These days it only matters who's in charge. Right now that's us — for a while at least. Our opponents are going to resort to car bombs and suicide attacks because they have no other way to win. ...I believe (Rumsfeld) thinks this is a war that can be won, but there is no such thing anymore. We can't beat anyone anymore." {Link without Title} On January 16 , 2006 , during his acceptance speech for the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for '' Syriana '', Clooney paused to sarcastically thank disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff before adding, “Who would name their kid Jack with the word ‘off’ at the end of your last name? No wonder that guy is screwed up!” FILMOGRAPHY
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