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.
How useful was this post?
Click on a star to rate it!
This AI-assisted post was rigorously curated and fact-checked for accuracy by:
Gary Oldman disappears into his roles so completely that audiences often forget who they are watching. While you might know him as Sirius Black or Commissioner Gordon, his career involves intense method acting and strange personal connections. For instance, he once had to hire a speech coach to relearn his own British voice. Furthermore, he smoked so many cigars for a role that he made himself physically sick. Prepare to unmask the Hollywood legend.
Gary Oldman
He actually forgot his natural British accent. Because he lived in America for so long, Gary Oldman lost his original way of speaking. Therefore, he hired a speech therapist to help him sound British again for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
His sister plays “Big Mo” in EastEnders. Many fans do not realize that the famous British soap star Laila Morse is actually his older sibling. Consequently, artistic talent runs deep in their family bloodline.
He suffered from severe nicotine poisoning on the set of Darkest Hour. To play Winston Churchill accurately, Gary Oldman smoked nearly $20,000 worth of premium cigars. Thus, he felt sick constantly during the grueling filming schedule.
Gary Oldman married Uma Thurman in the early 1990s. Although the marriage lasted only two years, they were one of the most talked-about couples in Hollywood. However, they both admit that the relationship was chaotic and doomed from the start.
He slept in a coffin every night while filming Dracula. To get into the mindset of the vampire, he isolated himself from the rest of the cast. This separation terrified the other actors and made his performance genuinely unsettling.
He accepted the role in Harry Potter for his children. Gary Oldman wanted a role that his sons could actually watch and enjoy. Therefore, he became the beloved Sirius Black to impress them.
He wore a fat suit that weighed 14 pounds (6.3 kilograms) for Darkest Hour. The makeup team spent four hours every day applying the prosthetics. Remarkably, he won his first Oscar for this heavy transformation.
Gary Oldman directed the gritty drama Nil by Mouth. The film depicts a brutal look at working-class life in London. He based the story largely on his own difficult childhood and his father’s behavior.
He almost played the villain in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. He recorded a voice audition for General Grievous. However, he pulled out of the project because it violated union rules regarding actors.
He lost a massive amount of weight to play Sid Vicious. For the movie Sid and Nancy, Gary Oldman ate only steamed fish and melon. Doctors eventually warned him that he was malnourished and needed to stop immediately.
He played a dwarf in the movie Tiptoes. This role remains one of the most bizarre choices in his career. Critics universally panned the film, and Oldman rarely speaks about it today.
Gary Oldman has been sober for over twenty-five years. In the 1990s, he struggled heavily with alcoholism. Fortunately, he entered rehab and completely turned his life around to focus on his family.
He improvised the famous “Everyone!” scream in Léon: The Professional. The director told him to do something wild to startle the other actors. Consequently, that terrifying yell became one of the most iconic moments in cinema history.
He received a “drunk acting” award while he was actually drunk. Early in his career, he won an award for a stage performance. Ironically, he accepted the trophy while intoxicated, which he later said was a wake-up call.
Finally, Gary Oldman plans to retire after his show Slow Horses. He stated recently that he wants to hang up his acting gloves to pursue other interests. Thus, his role as Jackson Lamb might be his final curtain call.
Emma Thompson stands out as a multi-talented talent in acting and screenwriting. With two Oscars and a lifelong commitment to drama, she inspires audiences worldwide. Discover little-known facts about her career, activism, and iconic roles that highlight her unique presence in Hollywood and British theatre.
Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson is the only person to win Academy Awards for both acting and screenwriting.
She wrote the screenplay for Sense and Sensibility (1995) in just six weeks, which won her an Oscar.
