George Clooney stands as one of the last true movie stars, bridging the gap between Old Hollywood charm and modern celebrity. While fans know him for his smooth style in the Ocean's franchise, he also possesses a mischievous side that fuels his legendary pranks. He successfully transitioned from a television doctor on ER to an Oscar-winning director and producer. Furthermore, his humanitarian work and business ventures prove he offers much more than just a handsome face. Prepare to meet the man who cuts his own hair with a vacuum cleaner.
George Clooney
He owned a pot-bellied pig named Max for eighteen years. George Clooney often joked that the three-hundred-pound animal was the longest successful relationship of his life. The pig slept in his bedroom and occasionally appeared in interviews with him.
Surprisingly, he cuts his own hair with a Flowbee. He revealed that he has used the vacuum cleaner attachment for decades because it is fast and easy. Therefore, his famous red carpet haircuts actually come from a television infomercial device.
He once gave fourteen of his closest friends one million dollars each. He invited “The Boys” to dinner and handed them suitcases full of cash to thank them for their support before he became famous. In addition, he paid the taxes on the gifts so they could keep the full amount.
He constantly apologizes for Batman & Robin. He openly admits that he thought he had destroyed the Batman franchise with his performance. Consequently, he often jokes about the infamous “bat-nipples” on his costume during interviews.
He tried out for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team in 1977. Before he pursued acting, George Clooney wanted to play professional baseball like his favorite players. Unfortunately, the team cut him after the first round of tryouts, ending his sports dreams.
He sold his tequila company for one billion dollars. He originally started Casamigos with friends simply because they wanted a tequila that didn’t cause hangovers. However, the brand grew so popular that a major beverage company bought it for a record-breaking sum.
He voiced a dog on South Park. In the early days of the show, he asked for a role and the creators cast him as Sparky, the gay dog. Uniquely, his entire performance consisted only of various barks and whimpers.
He lived in a friend’s closet when he first moved to Los Angeles. With no money and no job, he relied on the kindness of his friend to survive the early days. Thus, the future superstar slept in a cramped closet until he found steady acting work.
He worked as a door-to-door insurance salesman. Before his big break, he took several odd jobs to pay the bills, including selling women’s shoes and cutting tobacco. He admits he was terrible at selling insurance because he always checked if the customers really needed it.
He suffered from facial paralysis in high school. George Clooney developed Bell’s palsy during his freshman year, which paralyzed half of his face for several months. Although students nicknamed him “Frankenstein,” he credits the experience with helping him develop a sense of humor.
He put a rude bumper sticker on Brad Pitt’s car as a prank. The sticker read “F*ck Cops” in large letters, and he placed it on the car right before Pitt drove through Los Angeles. Naturally, police officers pulled Pitt over almost immediately.
His aunt was the legendary singer Rosemary Clooney. He worked as her driver when he was a struggling actor, driving her to various singing gigs. She served as his connection to the golden age of show business and offered him career advice.
He starred in Return of the Killer Tomatoes. One of his earliest film roles involved fighting mutant vegetables in this cult horror-comedy. It serves as a reminder that even the biggest stars often start at the bottom of the Hollywood ladder.
He played a handyman on The Facts of Life. Long before ER, he appeared as the character George Burnett on the popular eighties sitcom. He charmed the main characters and the audience, hinting at the heartthrob status he would later achieve.
Finally, George Clooney became the highest-paid actor in 2018 without appearing in a movie. Thanks to the massive sale of his tequila company, he topped the Forbes list despite having no major film releases that year. This feat highlighted his incredible business acumen outside of entertainment.
Matthew McConaughey stands out not only for his Oscar-winning roles but also for his unique personality and life stories. From surprising childhood experiences to his passion for nature and music, many details about him are lesser-known yet fascinating. Explore the intriguing aspects of McConaughey’s life and career that make him a truly captivating figure.
Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey was voted “Most Handsome Student” in high school despite struggling with severe acne.
He spent a year in Australia as a Rotary exchange student, even adopting an Australian accent for a while.
Before acting, Matthew considered a career in law and originally majored in pre-law at university.
His first paid acting job was in a beer commercial, marking his entry into show business.
McConaughey once played bongo drums for eight hours straight to help his wife during childbirth.
He owns a 1,600-acre ranch in West Texas, where he enjoys a peaceful life away from Hollywood.
He rarely wears deodorant or cologne, embracing a natural lifestyle.
McConaughey helped rescue countless animals, especially after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans.
His favorite actor and inspiration is Paul Newman, and he named a beloved dog after Newman’s movie “Hud.”
Matthew lost 47 pounds to portray Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club, a role that won him an Oscar.
Despite being a native Texan, he supports the Washington Redskins NFL team, unlike many locals.
Early in his career, he struggled with legal trouble, including resisting arrest during a party incident.
He founded the Just Keep Livin Foundation to encourage healthy lifestyles among young people.
He was considered for the role of Jack Dawson in Titanic but lost the part to Leonardo DiCaprio.
Matthew keeps a daily diary that helped him write his acclaimed memoir Greenlights.
Star Wars defined the childhood of millions around the globe. You likely know the sound of a lightsaber, but the production secrets are wild. George Lucas created a universe that changed cinema forever with practical effects and distinct sounds. However, the path to the big screen faced many disasters. Consequently, the cast and crew had to improvise constantly to finish the masterpiece. Let’s explore the galaxy far, far away.
Star Wars
The sound designer created the iconic TIE fighter screech using a very strange method. Uniquely, he combined the scream of an elephant with the sound of a car driving on wet pavement.
Yoda originally possessed a normal first name in the very early draft scripts. Specifically, George Lucas planned to call the small Jedi master Buffy before changing his mind to just Yoda.
Surprisingly, the high-tech communicator used by Qui-Gon Jinn is actually a modified women’s razor. The prop department painted a Gillette razor silver to save money on the tight production budget.
Star Wars filming almost caused a real international conflict between Tunisia and Libya. Reportedly, the Libyan government thought the massive Sandcrawler vehicle was a military tank sitting on their border.
Furthermore, the Ewoks speak a language based on real Tibetan and Kalmyk dialects. The sound team sped up the voice recordings to make the small bears sound energetic and distinct.
Samuel L. Jackson specifically requested a purple lightsaber for a very practical reason. Essentially, he wanted to find himself easily on screen during the massive battle scene in the arena.
Interestingly, the chaotic asteroid field scene in The Empire Strikes Back contains a hidden shoe. A frustrated special effects artist threw a tennis shoe into the shot to protest the work.
Han Solo was originally a large green alien with gills in the first script drafts. Fortunately, George Lucas rewrote the Star Wars character into the human smuggler we cherish today.
Consequently, the towering suit of Darth Vader was played physically by bodybuilder David Prowse. However, the studio replaced his voice because his West Country accent sounded too friendly for a villain.
The trash compactor scene was a physical nightmare for actor Mark Hamill. In fact, he held his breath so long during the take that he burst a blood vessel in his face.
Amazingly, the Star Wars puppet Yoda has a different number of toes depending on the movie. He possesses three toes in The Phantom Menace but four toes in The Empire Strikes Back.
Star Wars stands as the first major Hollywood film to be translated into the Navajo language. Thus, the dubbing project helped preserve the native culture and language for future generations.
The famous opening text crawl was actually a physical model rather than digital effects. Specifically, the camera moved slowly along the floor over a 6-foot [1.8-meter] long black paper scroll.
Strangely, the iconic lightsaber noises are just the hum of an old television set. The sound designer discovered this distinct buzz by accident while walking near a film projector motor.
The Star Wars villain Jabba the Hutt required a massive team of seven puppeteers. Therefore, three people were inside the tail, while others operated the eyes and smoke machine.
