George Clooney
A Hollywood star who leveraged his charm and clout to become a serious filmmaker and a forceful advocate for human rights.
Born 1961 (age 65)·American actor and filmmaker·Birthday: May 6·Baby Boomers
Biography
George Clooney's journey from a struggling actor with a famous last name to one of the most influential figures in Hollywood is a masterclass in strategic reinvention. After finding television fame on 'ER', he parlayed that success into a movie career, carefully balancing commercial crowd-pleasers like 'Ocean's Eleven' with riskier, director-driven projects. He soon moved behind the camera, directing films like 'Good Night, and Good Luck' that displayed a sharp political conscience. Off-screen, Clooney operates with equal purpose, using his platform to draw global attention to humanitarian crises in Darfur and Sudan, and co-founding the organization Not On Our Watch. His marriage to human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin solidified his image as a figure engaged with the world beyond the red carpet. More than just a movie star, Clooney represents a model of modern celebrity where influence is wielded with intention.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
George was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When George Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
George's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor ('Syriana') and as a producer of Best Picture ('Argo').
- Co-founded the production company Section Eight, which produced films like 'Far from Heaven' and 'Confessions of a Dangerous Mind'.
- Received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2018, one of the youngest recipients of the honor.
- Has been a United Nations Messenger of Peace and a co-founder of the Satellite Sentinel Project, monitoring conflict zones.
- Starred in and directed 'The Midnight Sky', a post-apocalyptic drama for Netflix.
Did You Know?
He is the nephew of singer and actress Rosemary Clooney.
He was once considered for the role of James Bond for 'Casino Royale'.
He and his friend Rande Gerber once talked a mutual friend, actor Richard Kind, into getting a pet pig.
He sold a tequila company, Casamigos, which he co-founded, for up to $1 billion in 2017.
“The only failure is not to try.”
