The 50 Greatest Actors Alive: No. 35 George Clooney
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The 50 Greatest Actors Alive: No. 35 George Clooney
by Nicky80 Fri 09 May 2014, 10:29
[size=35]The 50 Greatest Actors Alive: No. 35 George Clooney[/size]
Every week through the remainder of 2014, Yahoo Movies is counting down Hollywood's 50 very best working actors and actresses. Come back to Yahoo Movies every Thursday to see who makes the cut.
Greatest Actor Alive (No. 35): George Clooney
Age: 53
Stating the Case: If Tom Hanks is our contemporary equivalent of Jimmy Stewart, then George Clooney is probably today's Clark Gable. There's something old-school-Hollywood about Clooney -- he'd look right at home in a black-and-white film from the '40s (which he somewhat proved in 2003's "The Good German" and 2005's "Good Night, and Good Luck") as much as he does in flashy modern-day studio projects with a retro vibe, a la "Ocean's Eleven" (2001) -- a remake, of course, of classic Rat Pack, another Tinseltown institution that Clooney, along with his crew (Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, etc.), have drawn comparisons to over the years.
He's handsome and talented, but Clooney's also got class. He brings credibility to every role, whether it's a trouble-prone escaped convict traversing a mystical Deep South ("O Brother, Where Art Thou?"), a seemingly emotionless assassin ("The American"), a space traveler ("Solaris" and "Gravity") or a talking fox with a plan ("Fantastic Mr. Fox"). And as cool as he can be, he also isn't afraid to be vulnerable -- indeed, he often seems most comfortable in playing characters on the verge of a complete nervous breakdown ("Up in the Air,""Syriana," "Michael Clayton," "The Descendants").
We love him. You love him. Our grandmas love him. George Clooney.
Breakthrough Role: Clooney went from a charismatic healer on the TV sitcom "E/R" (1984-1985) to charismatic healer on the TV drama "ER" (1994-1999) to a charismatic gunslinging criminal turned vampire killer in "From Dusk Till Dawn" (1996), the genre-bending grind house B-movie from Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino made more than a decade before they collaborated on a project actually called "Grindhouse" (2007). As Seth Gecko, Clooney proved he had the makings of a movie star and then some, holding his own against screen veterans like Harvey Keitel and even grounding the undisciplined energy of his wild-card co-star and screenwriter, Tarantino.
The Best of the Best:
5. "Michael Clayton" (2007): Clooney did some major Serious Acting in this dark-with-a-capital-D legal thriller from director Tony Gilroy. Clooney plays the title role, a 'fixer' for a top-notch NYC law firm who gets wrapped up in murder and conspiracy.
4. "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (2000): "Damn! We're in a tight spot!" Clooney got to show off his terrific comedy skills (including his knack for physical pratfalls and funny faces) in the first of what ended up being several collaborations with the Coen Brothers, a loose musical adaptation of Homer's "The Odyssey" set in the Depression-era Deep South.
3. "The Descendants" (2011): Clooney and director Alexander Payne proved to be a terrific match in this moody dramedy about a land baron and cuckold who's left to care for his two daughters (Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller) after his wife is injured in a boating accident. We're still having trouble believing that anyone would cheat on George Clooney with Matthew Lillard, though.
2. "Syriana" (2005): Clooney won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his intense turn as Bob Barnes, a CIA operative caught up in the often deadly political, economic, legal and social effects of the global oil industry. Stephen Gaghan's thriller is sometimes hard to follow but Clooney's performance keeps you on the edge of your seat when the dense and convoluted plot doesn't.
1. "Up in the Air" (2009): Clooney really shines when he plays characters caught in a major personal crisis, and none of them get thrown for an existential loop quite like Ryan Bingham, a man whose solitary life of traveling around the world firing people gets a major shake-up when he meets the frequent-flyer woman of his dreams (Vera Farmiga) and takes on a new protégé (Anna Kendrick).
The BIGGEST Hit: "Gravity" (2013), by far, with a domestic take of $224 million and an astonishing $716 million worldwide. The closest runner-up is "Ocean's Eleven," which earned $183 million domestic and $450 million worldwide.
With Honors: Clooney won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in "Syriana" and received Oscar nominations for Best Actor for "Up in the Air" and "The Descendants." He won the Golden Globe for Best Actor, Drama for "The Descendants," Best Supporting Actor for "Syriana" and Best Actor, Comedy or Musical for "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"
Clooney has also received accolades for his behind-the-scenes work, with Oscar nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay for "The Ides of March" (2011), Best Original Screenplay and Best Director for "Good Night, and Good Luck," and a Best Picture win for his producing efforts on Ben Affleck's "Argo" (2012).
Fun Fact: Clooney first got into acting after his cousin Miguel Ferrer, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Bob Morton in "RoboCop" (1987) and FBI Agent Albert Rosenfield on "Twin Peaks" (1990-1991), got him a small part in a film, a still-unreleased feature starring Charlie Sheen.
Trademark: Irresistible charm with a dash of devilry.
Best Fan Tribute: Drew Barrymore's tribute to her "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" (2002) director and co-star definitely comes from the heart — how could it not with that (seemingly) random "E.T." poster behind her?
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Most Underappreciated Achievement: Clooney brought great passion to his role as Dr. Chris Kelvin in "Solaris" (2002), Steven Soderbergh's tech-dreamy adaptation of Stanislaw Lem's sci-fi novel. Coming off his crowd-pleasing turn as suave thief Danny Ocean in Soderbergh's "Ocean's Eleven," Clooney tried something radically different with his melancholy and sensitive performance.
Special mention should also be made of "Three Kings" (1999), director David O. Russell's adventure tale set during the end of the Persian Gulf War. Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube (and, for a while, Spike Jonze) make for a great team as a group of American soldiers on the hunt for a stash of gold bullion in a still-dangerous land.
Nobody's Perfect: The less said about "Batman & Robin" (1997), the better. Let's just say that Clooney himself is well aware of how horrible it is and we'll leave it at that.
Moonlighting: Clooney is still beloved for his portrayal of Dr. Doug Ross in 109 episodes of "ER," the wildly popular medical drama series that ran from 1994-2009. His other TV credits include George Burnett in 17 episodes of "The Facts of Life" (from 1985-1987) and Booker Brooks in 11 episodes of "Roseanne" (from 1988-1991).
Clooney has also directed five feature films to date: "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" (2002), "Good Night, and Good Luck," "Leatherheads" (2008), "The Ides of March" and "The Monuments Men" (2014). He played a supporting role in each one except for "Leatherheads," which featured him in the lead role of pro football player James 'Dodge' Connelly.
Clooney also has a production company, Smokehouse Pictures, with partner Grant Heslov. In addition to many of the films above, other films Clooney has produced include the Meryl Streep-Julia Roberts drama "August: Osage County," the Matt Damon dark comedy "The Informant!," and Richard Linklater's rotoscope gem "A Scanner Darkly."
And for His Next Acts: Clooney is currently filming "Tomorrowland," director Brad Bird's somewhat top-secret sci-fi fantasy film inspired by one of Disney World's themed attractions. The film, which follows the time- and space-bending adventures of a scientifically curious teenager and a former boy-genius inventor, will hit theaters on May 22, 2015.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What qualifies actors for a slot on Yahoo Movies’ running list of the 50 Greatest Actors Alive? First, we limited the pool to actors who are still currently working. Other factors taken into consideration: Pure skill in the craft; their ability to disappear underneath the skin of the characters they portray; versatility and the range of their roles; ratio of strong performances to weak ones; quality of films acted in; strength of recent work; awards and accolades from peers.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Every week through the remainder of 2014, Yahoo Movies is counting down Hollywood's 50 very best working actors and actresses. Come back to Yahoo Movies every Thursday to see who makes the cut.
Greatest Actor Alive (No. 35): George Clooney
Age: 53
Stating the Case: If Tom Hanks is our contemporary equivalent of Jimmy Stewart, then George Clooney is probably today's Clark Gable. There's something old-school-Hollywood about Clooney -- he'd look right at home in a black-and-white film from the '40s (which he somewhat proved in 2003's "The Good German" and 2005's "Good Night, and Good Luck") as much as he does in flashy modern-day studio projects with a retro vibe, a la "Ocean's Eleven" (2001) -- a remake, of course, of classic Rat Pack, another Tinseltown institution that Clooney, along with his crew (Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, etc.), have drawn comparisons to over the years.
He's handsome and talented, but Clooney's also got class. He brings credibility to every role, whether it's a trouble-prone escaped convict traversing a mystical Deep South ("O Brother, Where Art Thou?"), a seemingly emotionless assassin ("The American"), a space traveler ("Solaris" and "Gravity") or a talking fox with a plan ("Fantastic Mr. Fox"). And as cool as he can be, he also isn't afraid to be vulnerable -- indeed, he often seems most comfortable in playing characters on the verge of a complete nervous breakdown ("Up in the Air,""Syriana," "Michael Clayton," "The Descendants").
We love him. You love him. Our grandmas love him. George Clooney.
Breakthrough Role: Clooney went from a charismatic healer on the TV sitcom "E/R" (1984-1985) to charismatic healer on the TV drama "ER" (1994-1999) to a charismatic gunslinging criminal turned vampire killer in "From Dusk Till Dawn" (1996), the genre-bending grind house B-movie from Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino made more than a decade before they collaborated on a project actually called "Grindhouse" (2007). As Seth Gecko, Clooney proved he had the makings of a movie star and then some, holding his own against screen veterans like Harvey Keitel and even grounding the undisciplined energy of his wild-card co-star and screenwriter, Tarantino.
The Best of the Best:
5. "Michael Clayton" (2007): Clooney did some major Serious Acting in this dark-with-a-capital-D legal thriller from director Tony Gilroy. Clooney plays the title role, a 'fixer' for a top-notch NYC law firm who gets wrapped up in murder and conspiracy.
4. "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (2000): "Damn! We're in a tight spot!" Clooney got to show off his terrific comedy skills (including his knack for physical pratfalls and funny faces) in the first of what ended up being several collaborations with the Coen Brothers, a loose musical adaptation of Homer's "The Odyssey" set in the Depression-era Deep South.
3. "The Descendants" (2011): Clooney and director Alexander Payne proved to be a terrific match in this moody dramedy about a land baron and cuckold who's left to care for his two daughters (Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller) after his wife is injured in a boating accident. We're still having trouble believing that anyone would cheat on George Clooney with Matthew Lillard, though.
2. "Syriana" (2005): Clooney won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his intense turn as Bob Barnes, a CIA operative caught up in the often deadly political, economic, legal and social effects of the global oil industry. Stephen Gaghan's thriller is sometimes hard to follow but Clooney's performance keeps you on the edge of your seat when the dense and convoluted plot doesn't.
1. "Up in the Air" (2009): Clooney really shines when he plays characters caught in a major personal crisis, and none of them get thrown for an existential loop quite like Ryan Bingham, a man whose solitary life of traveling around the world firing people gets a major shake-up when he meets the frequent-flyer woman of his dreams (Vera Farmiga) and takes on a new protégé (Anna Kendrick).
The BIGGEST Hit: "Gravity" (2013), by far, with a domestic take of $224 million and an astonishing $716 million worldwide. The closest runner-up is "Ocean's Eleven," which earned $183 million domestic and $450 million worldwide.
With Honors: Clooney won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in "Syriana" and received Oscar nominations for Best Actor for "Up in the Air" and "The Descendants." He won the Golden Globe for Best Actor, Drama for "The Descendants," Best Supporting Actor for "Syriana" and Best Actor, Comedy or Musical for "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"
Clooney has also received accolades for his behind-the-scenes work, with Oscar nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay for "The Ides of March" (2011), Best Original Screenplay and Best Director for "Good Night, and Good Luck," and a Best Picture win for his producing efforts on Ben Affleck's "Argo" (2012).
Fun Fact: Clooney first got into acting after his cousin Miguel Ferrer, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Bob Morton in "RoboCop" (1987) and FBI Agent Albert Rosenfield on "Twin Peaks" (1990-1991), got him a small part in a film, a still-unreleased feature starring Charlie Sheen.
Trademark: Irresistible charm with a dash of devilry.
Best Fan Tribute: Drew Barrymore's tribute to her "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" (2002) director and co-star definitely comes from the heart — how could it not with that (seemingly) random "E.T." poster behind her?
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Most Underappreciated Achievement: Clooney brought great passion to his role as Dr. Chris Kelvin in "Solaris" (2002), Steven Soderbergh's tech-dreamy adaptation of Stanislaw Lem's sci-fi novel. Coming off his crowd-pleasing turn as suave thief Danny Ocean in Soderbergh's "Ocean's Eleven," Clooney tried something radically different with his melancholy and sensitive performance.
Special mention should also be made of "Three Kings" (1999), director David O. Russell's adventure tale set during the end of the Persian Gulf War. Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube (and, for a while, Spike Jonze) make for a great team as a group of American soldiers on the hunt for a stash of gold bullion in a still-dangerous land.
Nobody's Perfect: The less said about "Batman & Robin" (1997), the better. Let's just say that Clooney himself is well aware of how horrible it is and we'll leave it at that.
Moonlighting: Clooney is still beloved for his portrayal of Dr. Doug Ross in 109 episodes of "ER," the wildly popular medical drama series that ran from 1994-2009. His other TV credits include George Burnett in 17 episodes of "The Facts of Life" (from 1985-1987) and Booker Brooks in 11 episodes of "Roseanne" (from 1988-1991).
Clooney has also directed five feature films to date: "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" (2002), "Good Night, and Good Luck," "Leatherheads" (2008), "The Ides of March" and "The Monuments Men" (2014). He played a supporting role in each one except for "Leatherheads," which featured him in the lead role of pro football player James 'Dodge' Connelly.
Clooney also has a production company, Smokehouse Pictures, with partner Grant Heslov. In addition to many of the films above, other films Clooney has produced include the Meryl Streep-Julia Roberts drama "August: Osage County," the Matt Damon dark comedy "The Informant!," and Richard Linklater's rotoscope gem "A Scanner Darkly."
And for His Next Acts: Clooney is currently filming "Tomorrowland," director Brad Bird's somewhat top-secret sci-fi fantasy film inspired by one of Disney World's themed attractions. The film, which follows the time- and space-bending adventures of a scientifically curious teenager and a former boy-genius inventor, will hit theaters on May 22, 2015.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What qualifies actors for a slot on Yahoo Movies’ running list of the 50 Greatest Actors Alive? First, we limited the pool to actors who are still currently working. Other factors taken into consideration: Pure skill in the craft; their ability to disappear underneath the skin of the characters they portray; versatility and the range of their roles; ratio of strong performances to weak ones; quality of films acted in; strength of recent work; awards and accolades from peers.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Nicky80- Casamigos with Mr Clooney
- Posts : 8561
Join date : 2013-05-01
Location : Germany
Re: The 50 Greatest Actors Alive: No. 35 George Clooney
by Joanna Fri 09 May 2014, 11:08
We love him. You love him.
Our grandmas love him.
George Clooney.
Love that....a nice phrase for his epitaph !
Our grandmas love him.
George Clooney.
Love that....a nice phrase for his epitaph !
Joanna- George Clooney fan forever!
- Posts : 19431
Join date : 2011-11-17
Location : UK
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