From The Facts of Life to Roseanne, George Clooney spent a lot of time struggling before anyone knew his name. It wouldn’t be until his role in the hit NBC drama, ER, that he would become a Hollywood legend when he turned the role of Dr. Doug Ross into a breakout role for himself. That one role turned him into a huge success.
He spent five seasons on the show from 1994 until 1999 before leaving to pursue his real dream, to become a feature film actor. So while he was on the television show, he began filming movies at the same time.
In 1996, he starred with Quentin Tarantino in From Dusk til Dawn. That became his breakout role that led to his chance at playing the caped crusader in Batman & Robin. Although it was a disaster of a film, it still opened the door to many more chances and eventually, he would garner enough respect by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to get nominated several times.
He has won for Best Supporting Actor (Syriana, 2005) and has been nominated for almost everything. He was nominated for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay while winning his second Academy Award, this time for Best Picture. (Argo, 2012 as one of the Executive Producers)
With all the accolades and admiration George Clooney has earned in his amazing career, the one thing about him that makes him such a likeable character is how smooth he is, in any situation. The world could be ending with bombs falling out of the sky and he would still be as smooth and calm as he always is when trying to save the day.
As he celebrates his 55th birthday today, we wanted to honor one of the biggest names in Hollywood with a list of some of his smoothest bad ass movie lines.
“You’re the genius up here. I only drive the bus.” – Matt Kowalski, Gravity (2013)
“Is this your first time being robbed? You’re doing great.” – Jack Foley, Out of Sight (1998)
“Your husband had told me you were the most beautiful woman he’d ever met. I didn’t expect the most beautiful woman I’d ever met.” – Miles, Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
“You just point the damned thing at Earth. It’s not rocket science.” – Matt Kowalski, Gravity (2013)
“I’m not the guy you kill. I’m the guy you buy! Are you so blind that you don’t even see what I am? I sold out Arthur for 80 grand. I’m your easiest problem and you’re gonna kill me?” – Michael Clayton, Michael Clayton (2007)
“You can wipe out an entire generation, you can burn their homes to the ground and somehow they’ll still find their way back. But if you destroy their history, you destroy their achievements and it’s as if they never existed. That’s what Hitler wants and that’s exactly what we are fighting for.” – Frank Stokes, The Monuments Men (2014)
“The way it works is, you do the thing you’re scared shitless of, and you get the courage AFTER you do it, not before you do it.” – Archie Gates, Three Kings (1999)
“Never get behind people traveling with infants. I’ve never seen a stroller collapse in less than 20 minutes. Old people are worse. Their bodies are littered with hidden metal and they never seem to appreciate how little time they have left. Bingo, Asians. They pack light, travel efficiently, and they have a thing for slip on shoes. Gotta love ’em.” – Ryan Bingham, Up in the Air (2009)
“You been using my hair treatment?” – Everett, O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000)
“You’ll get a shitload of fish. I’ve gone out before and motored back with so much stock little boys like you had to pack it on the pier. I always find the fish, always! And I will this time. So don’t f**k with me!” – Captain Billy Tyne, The Perfect Storm (2000)
“I’m not sure what four nines does, but the ace, I think, is pretty high.” – Danny Ocean, Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
“Elizabeth is dying. Wait… F**k you! And she’s dying.” – Matt King, The Descendants (2011)
“Doctor, you can run your charts and your theories all you want. In the field, this is how it works: the good guys, that’s us, we chase the bad guys. And they don’t wear black hats. They are, however, all alike: they demand power, and respect, and they’re willing to pay top dollar to get it. And that is our highly motivated buyer.” – Thomas Devoe, The Peacemaker (1997)