George Clooney’s Kentucky Upbringing Was a Very American Childhood

Raised in Lexington, Kentucky, Hollywood heartthrob George Timothy Clooney was born into a family of well-known American entertainers, introduced to the industry at a young age. His father Nick Clooney, held a variety of entertainment roles, like television personality and news anchor. One of his aunts, Rosemary Clooney, was a singer and an actress.

Which is why at the age of 5, George Clooney quickly made his debut on sets and sketches that his father worked on.

The Oscar winner hit a drawback with acting with middle school when he struggled briefly with Bell’s Palsy, causing him partial facial paralysis. When he attended Augusta High School, he decided to try out for the Cincinnati Reds but was rejected. He later went on to attend Northern Kentucky University and the University of Cincinnati but decided to drop out before graduating and moving to Los Angeles.

Throughout his time in Los Angeles, he landed some guest roles in the late ’80s and early ’90s on popular shows "The Facts of Life" and the sitcom "Roseanne." In 1994 he became one of the breakout stars on NBC's new medical drama "ER" portraying Dr. Doug Ross. While working on the show, Clooney managed to book several movies, making his debut on the big screen.

From rom-coms, "One Fine Day" with Michelle Pfeiffer, to classic storylines such as "Batman & Robin." It was apparent this star was rising when he worked with powerhouse Jennifer Lopez in "Out of Sight" in 1998.

After leaving the show, his next few roles included "Three Kings" with Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube, "O Brother, Where Art Thou" working with the Coen brothers and Odyssey, where he won A Golden Globe. He later reunited with Wahlberg for another hit, "The Perfect Storm." His rise to stardom in Hollywood launched even further as he starred as Danny Ocean in the remake of" Ocean’s Eleven" (and later "Ocean’s Twelve" and "Ocean’s Thirteen") in 2001 with an all-star cast including Brad Pitt and Matt Damon.

He tried his hand at directing in the following year with "Confessions of A Dangerous Mind." With an introduction to directing under his belt, he filmed "Up in the Air" and "The Ides of March." This clearly proved that the Academy Award winner was indeed a star, director and writer. He has been named “Hollywood’s Most Eligible Bachelor” and People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” multiple times in congruence with many accolades and awards.

As far as his personal life, in 2014, the movie star proposed to Amal Alamuddin. Now known as Amal Clooney, she is a high profile barrister, human rights lawyer, of British-Lebanese descent. Three years after their wedding, they welcomed twins Ella and Alexander Clooney.