George Clooney: Before He Was Famous
Exclusive: Father Nick Clooney on Mega-Famous Son’s Childhood, Awkward Stage
By KATIE THOMSON and LAUREN SHER
March 2, 2010— From a Special Forces soldier in 1999’s “Three Kings,” an adventurous sea captain in “The Perfect Storm,” a suave con artist Danny Ocean in “Oceans 11,” to CIA agent in the political thriller “Syriana,” he’s transformed himself into countless leading roles.
“I was just as stunned as anybody watching it, to see how he did that,” father Nick Clooney said. “He undertakes another character and I said, where’d he get that?”
George Clooney is nominated for best actor for his role as corporate hatchet-man Ryan Bingham in “Up in the Air.” It’s the star’s fifth Academy Award nomination. He won best supporting actor in 2005 for “Syriana.”
But before he became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, the Oscar-winning actor was another nerdy-looking kid in glasses. People magazine’s two-time choice for “Sexiest Man Alive” went through an awkward stage in middle school like everyone else.
“George and his glasses, an experiment that did not work out,” his dad joked.
Vera Farmiga says it would be ”impossible” for an actress not to have chemistry with George Clooney, who she stars with in ‘Up In The Air’.
George Clooney has “chemistry” with all his female co-stars.
The Hollywood hunk – who appears alongside Anna Kendrick and Vera Farmiga in ‘Up In The Air’ – has an automatic connection with all of his screen lovers, who can’t help but be attracted to him.
Vera – who plays his screen lover Alex – said: “I’ll tell you, it’s impossible not to have chemistry with George Clooney.
“He’s a goofball. He’s a clown. It’s just so good to be in his presence, and as a scene partner, anything goes. It’s a real circus with him on set. It’s carefree and loving and warm.”
Vera’s colleague Anna – who portrays businesswoman Natalie – has also spoken out about George’s flirtatious ways, admitting she was initially “terrified” of him but he soon put her at ease.
She told Empire magazine: “During the camera test he was making fun of my hair. If it was anybody else that you’d just met, you’d be like, ‘What’s this guy’s problem?’ But it’s George Clooney. Obviously, he is really intimidating as a sort of iconic figure. Really terrifying.
“Then the second that you meet him properly, you know you’re going to feel that he’s a normal guy in a matter of days. He is one of the most famous people on the planet, but he has a real talent for making you feel like you’ve known him forever.”
AUGUSTA — Augusta native and international film star George Clooney is heading for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Awards, again.
Clooney was nominated Tuesday for a best actor Oscar trophy for his work in the movie “Up in the Air,” in which he plays a frequent flyer junkie, traveling first class while crossing the country as a corporate axe man to downsize companies.
Clooney’s father, Nick Clooney, a former news broadcaster and columnist, is proud of his son and his performances.
George’s mother Nina Clooney, Kentucky Film Commission chairperson, attended the Hollywood premier of “Up in the Air” with George and later viewed it with Nick.
“It was a great and subtle performance,” Nick Clooney said on Tuesday after learning of the nomination. “(George) keeps growing as an actor. It was a stunning performance by him and the other actors.”
A graduate of Augusta High School, George Clooney broadened his acting resume from reoccurring roles in television situation comedies to the heart-throb surgeon on the medical drama “ER.”
Entering motion pictures, Clooney quickly established himself as a leading man.
People magazine labeled him “The Sexiest Man Alive” twice.
Clooney’s versatility and an adventurous nature has continued to bring his acting, and directing ventures acclaim.
“Most of us, in our careers, achieve a plateau where we are comfortable staying. We settle into what is comfortable,” Nick Clooney said. “George is always stretching the limits and taking chances. In that way he continues to grow.”
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George at the Telethon
Here are the other presenters at the telethon behind the jump
Anna plays the “Would You Rather …?” game with Rachel Ray. Watch the clip below to see who she’d rather… George or Rob?
“Up in the Air” star Anna Kendrick may be the only woman on record to have ever uttered the phrase, “I’m over George.” As in costar, Oscar winner and two-time Sexiest Man Alive honoree George Clooney.
But you can hardly blame the starlet, seeing as she’s quizzed about Gorgeous George by any and every entertainment reporter that can get their hands on her. (We’re looking at you, Guiliana Rancic!) When MTV News caught up with Anna on the red carpet at Sunday evening’s Golden Globe Awards, the Best Supporting Actress nominee was candid about her feelings towards George, as well as who she was nervous to meet at the night’s star- studded ceremony.
“I mean, it’s funny, ’cause I think you don’t get over celebrities as a collective,” Anna explained. “You know, now I’m over George. He’s a guy to me. He’s just the guy that teases me mercilessly.”
So if George is just a “guy,” who is the 23-year-old actress intimidated by? “Everyone here,” she responded. “I just got to meet Helen Mirren. I thought my heart was going to explode. I met Morgan Freeman, and I sounded like such an idiot. I don’t even know if I completed a sentence in front of him,” she said, laughing. “I was trying to tell him how well he comes off [in speeches]. I can’t even complete a sentence talking about Morgan Freeman.”
Video at Source
The best part about the Globes for her is that it reunites her with co-stars George Clooney and Vera Farmiga and director Jason Reitman, all up for awards. Kendrick said that far from feeling competitive with Farmiga, “I feel lucky to be sharing a screen with her and very humbled to be nominated beside her. I adore her so.”
Kendrick also adores Clooney (who doesn’t?), though their relationship is more complicated. His way of putting her at ease was to tease her mercilessly. It started the first day on the set when he poked fun at her ponytail.
“George gave me a hard time about almost everything,” said Kendrick. Because of that, she had “no qualms at all” about delivering the line “I don’t even think of him that way – he’s old,” in response to a question of whether she is romantically interested in Clooney’s character.
“The wonderful thing about George is that I could call him old to his face in real life, and he would shoot something right back at me,” Kendrick said, laughing.
Which begs the question: Does she think he is too old for her in “real life?”
“He was the one who told me I shouldn’t date someone as old as him. George has got an age limit for me – it is like somewhere in the 30s. But he is not the boss of me so it doesn’t matter.”
She always knew Clooney was in her corner. But once at dinner when he attempted to compliment her about a scene, he was cut off by Reitman.
“George was going like ‘OK, I’ll stop.’ ” Kendrick recalled. Later he explained to her that Reitman didn’t want anyone talking to her because “everyone knows you don’t talk to your pitcher during a no-hitter.”
“That was sort of the first time that I had some kind of inkling that I was at least doing my job right. Jason is definitely from the school of if they are doing it right, you don’t need to fiddle.”
It took her awhile to trust her director when he said that’s enough takes and move on.
“But I certainly wasn’t thinking that we are making something that people might respond to in the way that they have. I have been in films where you are really proud of the end project but people haven’t gone to see it. There is nothing you can really do about that. You are lucky that people seem to like this one.”
The Golden Globe Awards will be telecast live at 5 p.m. Sunday on NBC. Check local listings.
Last week, Up in the Air actress Anna Kendrick blabbed that her leading man George Clooney had displayed his jealous side whenever he talked about her Twilight Saga co-star Robert Pattinson. And when we caught up with George at last night’s New York Film Critic’s Circle Awards, the Oscar-winner told OK! that he’s happy he doesn’t have to compete with R-Pattz for movie roles.
“Thank God I don’t have to,” the Fantastic Silver Fox explained to OK!. “He’s young and handsome and talented.”
Here’s a bit from Vera where she talks about working with George on the set of “Up in the Air”.
Vera Farmiga- who stars alongside the Hollywood actor as his love interest in the romantic comedy ‘Up In The Air’ – loved working on the movie with him because her big screen alter ego got to treat the hunk so badly.
She said: “George has been breaking women’s hearts for years. It’s fun to turn the tables. But it’s disgusting how much charm he has. He oozes it.”
In one part of the film, Vera had to be semi-naked, and says her co-star mistook her control underwear for nerves.
She explained: “George was great during that scene and asked: ‘Are you OK, because you’re not breathing?’ I didn’t tell him because I was wearing two pairs of Spanx! I’d given birth six weeks earlier and wanted to keep everything in!”
Nick and Nina accept the 2009 Kentucky Governor’s Awards in the Arts – National Award on George’s behalf.
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