GEORGE CLOONEY

Stardom on "ER" has helped propel two-time Emmy nominee George Clooney to a booming career in motion pictures as well as television.He recently filmed starring roles in "One Fine Day" opposite MichellePfeiffer and in "The Peacemaker" with Nicole Kidman, directed by"ER" Emmy winner Mimi Leder. Clooney takes on the role of Batmanin the upcoming motion picture "Batman and Robin." All of this comes following a critically acclaimed role starring with Oscar winner Quentin Tarantino in the feature film "From Dusk Till Dawn."

Clooney was born in Lexington, Ky., and raised in Augusta, Ky. He began finding his way around TV studios at age 5 when his father, veteran TV newscaster Nick Clooney, hosted a local talk show in Cincinnati. Like other members of his family, young George was asked to pitch in by selling products and playing sketch characters.

At first, Clooney wanted to emulate his dad and became a broadcastjournalist, but he later decided he did not want to compete in the same arena. He studied for a few years at Northern Kentucky University. An excellent baseball player, he also tried out for the Cincinnati Reds, hoping to fulfill a lifelong dream of playing for the team.

At last, 21-year-old Clooney found his calling when his best friend and cousin, Miguel Ferrer (singer Rosemary Clooney is George's aunt and Miguel's mother), came to Lexington and helped him earn a part in a small feature film. Clooney arrived in California in 1982 and spent the next year unemployed, sleeping in a friend's closet and bicycling to auditions. After he completed an unreleased feature with Charlie Sheen, an ABC casting executive signed him to a contract. When itexpired, he joined the cast of "E/R" (starring Elliott Gould and Mary McDonnell) at midseason.

During the intervening years before he joined "ER," Clooney starred in a slew of pilots and popped up on "The Facts of Life" (as a neighbor); "Roseanne" (as Roseanne's boss); "Sunset Beat" (as a cop moonlighting as a rock star); "Baby Talk" (as a construction worker); "Bodies of Evidence" (as a cop with Lee Horsley); and "Sisters" (as Detective Falconer). As the charming and talented Dr. Ross, Clooney now has the opportunity to play a role that takes his career in a new direction. "As a pediatrician in the emergency room, Ross is a little more out of his element than the other doctors," he says. "I don't have to deal with as much blood and guts as the others."

Clooney's other feature credits include "Red Surf," "Return to Horror High" and "Buddy McCoy." He also appeared in the TV movie "Terror in the Towers." On stage he has appeared in 15 plays, including a starring role in the award-winning "Vicious" at Chicago's renowned Steppenwolf Theatre in 1987. In February 1995, he hosted an edition of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" and guest-starred on NBC's "Friends."

Away from the set, Clooney is a "golf maniac" and a devoted Cincinnati Reds and Bengals fan who also enjoys collecting motorcycles and playing full-court basketball. Clooney's birthday is May 6.

NBC Biography