George Clooney Turns 50

Batman & Robin (1997)

Yes, that's Clooney hidden in that Batman suit. Whoever thought that was a good idea? He was the third of the most recent Batmen following Michael Keaton and Val Kilmer — and not a great one by his own admission. He made the movie while still working on ER, which accommodated his schedule needs. It helped that Warner Bros. produced ER and Batman & Robin.

DreamWorks/Courtesy of the Everett Collection

The Peacemaker (1997)

It was The Peacemaker, in which Clooney stars with Nicole Kidman, that really allowed him to test his mettle for movie making. It was on that set that he also bet Kidman that he'd never marry again (he and Talia Balsam divorced after a brief marriage) and he's still winning.

Universal/Courtesy of the Everett Collection

Out of Sight (1998)

This is the film in which Clooney's career really starts to sizzle. It was his first collaboration with Steven Soderbergh and it may be due to Soderbergh's direction that Clooney, who had great chemistry with Jennifer Lopez, would soon be seen as a movie star. He's much smoother and confident — and did we mention handsome? — than in some previous work.

Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy of the Everett Collection

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

So much for handsome. Clooney took the opportunity to work with brothers Joel and Ethan Coen and O Brother was a typical Coen Brothers movie — strange and engrossing. Clooney had a good time and certainly played against the suave, hunky type he'd become.

A Perfect Storm (2000)

Released in June 2000, Storm was a summer blockbuster. Clooney is paired with Mark Wahlberg, not some pretty young actress. He plays the captain of a fishing boat who gambles on going for the bigger catch and gets caught himself.

Warner Bros./Courtesy of the Everett Collection

Ocean's Eleven (2001)

Clooney has a sense of Hollywood history and a connection — through Rosemary — to the heyday of singers such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. In Ocean's Eleven, a remake of the Rat Pack movie, Clooney and Soderbergh put together their pack of pals, including Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon, and, as George's love interest — Julia Roberts. Talk about a success. He made Ocean's Twelve in 2004 and Ocean's Thirteen in 2007. Most of his pack comes back for both.

Warner Bros./Courtesy of the Everett Collection

Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)

Clooney's reverence for TV history, stemming from his dad's career, is evident in this Oscar-winning movie. This was his step up to the big time. He co-wrote, directed and starred in the movie, which was nominated for six Oscars; he was nominated for writing and directing, and his lead actor, David Strathairn, is nominated for best actor. Clooney, who didn't believe in attending the Academy Awards unless he was a nominee, finally goes to the ceremony.

Glen Wilson/Warner Bros./Courtesy of the Everett Collection

Syriana (2005)

Clooney makes the picture that will win him his first acting Oscar. Pudgy and bearded, he films in some tough circumstances and sustains an injury to his back during a fall on the set.

DreamWorks/Courtesy of the Everett Collection

Up in the Air (2009)

Clooney and Vera Farmiga are reminiscent of Tracy and Hepburn in this drama about Clooney's character, a traveling hatchet man who begins to question what he wants out of life. Both of them are nominated for Oscars; someone should re-team them — soon.