From humble beginnings in films like RETURN TO HORROR HIGH and RETURN OF THE KILLER TOMATOES, a two-time “Sexiest Man Alive”, four-time Academy Award nominee (so far), and one-time winner of Best Supporting Actor (so far) was born. George Clooney’s career has been a long and winding road in both film and television. Today, he takes all roles from absolutely serious (SYRIANA) to comical (LEATHERHEADS) to downright silly cameos (SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER, AND UNCUT and SPY KIDS 3-D: GAME OVER). It is for this eclectic mix of performances and characters that we salute this week the top 10 of George Clooney. Whether it is his performance or the roles themselves he brings to life, each character listed below is memorable in their own right. And, with films like UP IN THE AIR and THE AMERICAN forthcoming, we are sure to see even more memorable characters brought to life by Clooney.
10. Jack Geismer in THE GOOD GERMAN
It’s rare that you can find an actor that can fit into any genre and era of film. George Clooney is such an actor, and his role as Jake Geismer in THE GOOD GERMAN is one such role. Jake is a military journalist covering the peace agreements between The US and Germany after World War II and in true film noir fashion a murder sends him on a completely different course than he set out. Jake is an inquisitive hero, the kind Hitchock would have created in a film that would have likely shot, had he not been dead long before it was made. Clooney’s Geismer is a timeless character in the truest sense.
9. Billy Tyne in THE PERFECT STORM
Look at Clooney up there, all angry and defiant. He’s helming a fishing boat that’s on its way up a 100-foot rogue wave, and he’s pissed off. Now look at Wahlberg. He’s freaking out. He doesn’t think they’re going to make it. Clooney’s Billy Tyne has no reservations. He knows they’re going to break the top of that wave, coast down the other side, and be home in time to watch the series finale of CHEERS. Doesn’t matter a lick that he’s wrong. He’s confident, and the fact that the Andrea Gail is about three nanoseconds away from capsizing over backwards isn’t about to break his resolve one bit. Clooney was a perfect choice for Tyne, cold when he needed to be, a leader when his men become disheartened, and caring when a giant shark gets pulled up on the deck. No one is as caring as Clooney wielding a shotgun about to carve off some shark steak for himself and his men. There’s real love there, and it shows. Up in that picture above, there’s anger and hardheadeness. Clooney brings it. Now look at Wahlberg. Wimp.
8. Fred Friendly in GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK
Not only is Fred Friendly one of Clooney’s best roles, it’s one of his most subdued. Fred is not the main character in GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK, instead the character’s almost mirroring what George was actually doing with the film, directing. Fred Friendly was the man behind Murrow, or rather below him during their time on CBS together. He would lead Murrow on the show that would eventually be the hour known as 60 minutes. Clooney is actually MUCH better looking than the real Friendly, but he does the man justice by being the driving force behind Edward R. Murrow, striving for excellence in news reporting.
7. Jack Foley in OUT OF SIGHT
Coming off of two critical and box office bombs (The Peacemaker & Batman and Robin), Georgie boy struck gold in me with his cool, slick role of Jack Foley. Based off of a Elmore Leonard novel (his other adapted works are Get Shorty, Jackie Brown & 3:10 to Yuma among others) and directed by Steven Soderbergh, ‘Out of Sight’ tells the story of a bank robber who escapes out of jail and through a kink in the plan with his partner in crime, played by Ving Rhames, ends up kidnapping Federal Marshall Karen Sisco, played by Jennifer Lopez. What is essentially a “criminal on the loose & the fed trying to catch him” story turns into an odd romance between Foley and Sisco. Sisco wants to get entangled with him but obviously can’t because of his profession. It’s one of my favorite Soderbergh films and Clooney roles. Clooney’s charisma romances Sisco and the viewer to the point where sometimes you kind of forget he is a bank robber. This was obviously a role tailor-made for Clooney as I still think that this was the precursor to the character of Danny Ocean from Ocean’s Eleven which was also directed by Soderbergh. If you haven’t seen this flick yet, you definitely need to check it out.
6. Mr. Fox in THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX
The actor once called the “sexiest man alive” makes only his second appearance on the big screen without his iconic face, lending his voice to the title character. This is the first time George Clooney has done this since 1999 when he voiced Dr. Gouache in SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER & UNCUT. This time, his voice is distinctly his and adds an unmistakable level of charm to the character of Mr. Fox, who is after all… Fantastic! Clooney has become a popular choice for such talented and indie-spirited filmmakers as Steven Soderbergh and The Coen Brothers, so it seems only natural that Wes Anderson would take a crack at casting him as well. Mr. Fox comes to life as a result of Clooney’s and Anderson’s teamwork, giving the character depth but also an unforgettable personality. One of the best scenes in the movie, a classic in my opinion, is when Mr. Fox and Badger (voiced by Bill Murray) go at it over a real estate deal… George Clooney and Bill Murray in a comical animated scuffle as wild animals? It doesn’t get much better than that!
5. Harry Pfarrer in BURN AFTER READING
As evidenced by this list, Mr. Clooney is a master of both subtle dramatic roles and over the top comedic ones. At his best, however, he’s a little bit of both, and he’s probably never straddled this line as well as he did for the Coens in BURN AFTER READING last year. Many of the most memorable aspects of Mr. Pfarrer, Clooney’s womanizing government agent, happen offscreen, only to be revealed in some hilarious moments (which I won’t get into, in case you haven’t seen the film yet — for shame!). In particular, I’m thinking about a crazy contraption the likes of which we’ve never seen in a mainstream film. If nothing else, Pfarrer will go down on history for spending more time with a triangular sex position pillow than any character in motion picture history; at best, he’s an example of how multifaceted and intricate the Coens’ characters can be, brought to life by one of the best actors in the business.
4. Danny Ocean in OCEAN’S ELEVEN
You know who loves it when a plan comes together…other than the A-Team, of course? Danny Ocean. Not only has he brought a team together to pull off the greatest heist in history, he’s done it three times, now, getting one over on Andy Garcia, Vincent Cassel, and Al Pacino. Really, there would be very little interest in a remake of the Rat Pack-headed OCEAN’S 11 without the likes of Clooney taking over the Frank Sinatra role. He, like Sinatra, exerts that classy cool appeal that makes believers out of all of us that he can actually pull these heists off without breaking a sweat. It doesn’t hurt that he has Brad Pitt and Matt Damon backing him up, but Clooney in the OCEAN’S films gives out such an appeal of confidence that you never question he could do all of this on his own. If for nothing else, Clooney as Danny Ocean makes you want to book the next flight to Vegas, pronto.
3. Michael Clayton in MICHAEL CLAYTON
In the 2007 drama MICHAEL CLAYTON, George Clooney played a lawyer at a firm who doesn’t practice law in the traditional sense, but rather is the go-to guy when things need fixing and gets sent out to clandestinely smooth over unsavory legal problems involving the firm’s top clients. The senior members at the firm respect Clayton because none of them have the particular skill set to do what Clayton does so effortlessly. Unfortunately for Clayton, his personal life is a disaster – a messy divorce, gambling problems, and massive debt from an unsuccessful business venture. Faced with these various quandaries, Clayton must choose what’s right while also facing increased danger. MICHAEL CLAYTON was a complex mix of crowd-pleasing action and whip-smart storytelling and contained perhaps Clooney’s most nuanced performance. For all of the actor’s considerable charm, not enough is made of how well he can dial it down. Instead of the grinning, twinkly-eyed movie star we know and love, Michael Clayton is simply a beaten-down man who hates his job and his life but is powerless to do anything about either until circumstances force him to take a stand. Clooney sells it with gusto, exuding intelligence and conflict over choices which can never fully be atoned for especially during that memorably prolonged closing close-up.
2. Archie Gates in THREE KINGS
Archie Gates is a great all-around character. Fed up with the war in Iraq, Gates and three compatriots start out looking for Iraqi gold and are soon stuck in the middle of what would be the genocide of a small group of people. Gates is one of those characters that’s out for his own, that has to learn a lesson through an impossible to deal with situation, and he’s damn funny the entire time. Archie Gates is easily one of Clooney’s more action oriented characters, but also one of the most heroic. A warrior, a bit of a scum bag, and a heroic man, Archie Gates is very memorable character, and THREE KINGS is one of the better modern war films for this reason.
1. Seth Gecko in FROM DUSK TILL DAWN (tie)
Of all of George Clooney’s roles, Seth Gecko stands out the most. Is it truly his best performance? Probably not, but it is his most badass. Seth Gecko is a cold blooded murderer, kidnapper, bank robber and social degenerate… in other words he’s everything you want in an anti-hero. He’s a hero by circumstance, not by choice. Thrown into a situation no one could possibly see coming, he soon tries to save the people he’s threatened to kill, in order to stay alive in a strip club full of gnarly looking vampires. He’s a fun character, easy to remember, and now, years later it’s hard to believe the man that played Seth Gecko would be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director. Seth Gecko, we salute you.
1. Everett in O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? (tie)
“Damn! We’re in a tight spot!” Everett finds himself in this situation frequently. George Clooney truly outdid himself as the fugitive Everett, whom considers himself more brilliant than he actually is, repeatedly using a lexicon made up entirely in his own mind. Words such as “mixaphorically” and “paterfamilias” come to mind in what would become the first of three films in which he is directed by The Coen Brothers. Clooney showcases his off-beat comical side in this film, which The Coen Brothers would re-employ later in BURN AFTER READING. Everett led two other dimwit fugitives on a getaway journey as he attempts to regain the respect of his family. The story loosely follows that of Homer’s The Odyssey, making for a film that’s not only hilarious and brilliantly directed, but also a strangely thought-provoking film that brings ancient literature to life through a more recent history of our own for a modern audience. If you want to experience on of the best comical trio’s to grace the screen since The Three Stooges, you need to see George Clooney along with Tim Blake Nelson and John Turturro in O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?
