Happy belated birthday to George Clooney, the perfect poster boy for Hollywood

Rant about 13 years agoby EMH

Okay, I am not usually about noticing celebrity birthdays, but I saw that George Clooney was turning 49 last week, and it got me thinking: This guy is pretty awesome. Clooney is not the best actor in Hollywood, but he is far from the worst. I was just telling my lovely wife recently that even though I believe Tom Hanks to be the best actor in Hollywood, Clooney is the best poster boy for, well…all of the movie industry. He's got the talent, the class, and the looks. He's got it all.

If you are rolling your eyes right now, give me a minute to state my case. What is it you need to be among the most elite Hollywood icons?

Major blockbuster hits: Ocean's 11, Ocean's 12, The Perfect Storm, Spy Kids

Critical hits: Up in the Air (which I think was better than The Hurt Locker), Michael Clayton, The Good German, Syriana, Good Night and Good Luck, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Three Kings

Major award nominations: 4 Academy Award nominations in the categories of writing (Good Night and Good Luck), directing (Good Night and Good Luck), and acting (Syriana, Michael Clayton, and Up in the Air), with an Oscar win for his performance in Syriana. He has 8 Golden Globe nominations for his movie work, including a win for Syriana, and in his work on television's ER (yeah, don't forget he was a major TV star before he achieved the rare successful crossover to movies). He even has 2 Emmy nominations for the previously mentioned ER.

Willingness to not take himself too seriously and take risks on crazy comedies: The only area in which I wish Tom Hanks would follow Clooney's example is by doing more of this type of stuff. No matter how great Hanks is with roles in movies like Saving Private Ryan, Cast Away, and Road to Perdition, I never forget this is the same guy who was so awesome in Turner & Hooch, Dragnet, and The Money Pit. In contrast, however, Clooney never stops with the crazy stuff. The Men Who Stare at Goats, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Burn After Reading, Welcome to Collinwood, and Leatherheads are some examples.