George Clooney will be awarded the Golden Lion at the 83rd Venice Film Festival, which will be held from September 2 to 12. It is the eleventh time that the actor and director has set foot in Laguna.
His first appearance was in 1998 with Out of Sight, by Steven Soderbergh. There he played Jack Foley, a bank robber who falls in love with a federal agent (Jennifer Lopez). The film catapulted him beyond the ER series.
Last year he returned with Jay Kelly, by Noah Baumbach, where he plays an actor in crisis. Although he did not attend the press conference, he did walk the red carpet with his wife, Amal Alamuddin.
“I’ve had so many extraordinary moments in Venice. The festival is, without a doubt, my favorite, and receiving the Golden Lion is a huge honor. It probably also means I’m getting older, but that’s okay,” Clooney said.
The actor, director and producer has two Oscars and four Golden Globes, as well as an Emmy, a BAFTA, two Critics Choice and the American Film Institute’s lifetime achievement award. He is also a UN Messenger of Peace and a human rights activist.
The director of the festival, Alberto Barbera, highlighted its triple facet:
“In his triple role as actor, director and producer, Clooney is a consummate and charismatic artist: passionate and original. His charisma is based on credibility rather than mere image. He is a perfect blend of old-school star glamour, great professionalism and modern sensibility.”
Barbera mentioned his versatility in genres such as war films (Three Kings, Syriana), thrillers (Michael Clayton), sophisticated comedies (Ocean’s Eleven, O Brother, Where Art Thou?) and science fiction (Gravity, Solaris).
Behind the camera, he has directed nine films. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Good Night, and Good Luck, The Ides of March and Suburbicon reflect his social commitment and demanding vision of cinema.
Clooney has visited the Lido on multiple occasions: in 2003 with Intolerable Cruelty; in 2005 with Good Night, and Good Luck (winner of the Osella Award and the Volpi Cup); in 2007 with Michael Clayton; and in 2008 with Burn After Reading. In 2013 he opened the festival with Gravity, by Alfonso Cuarón. In 2017 he competed with Suburbicon and in 2024 he presented Wolfs.
With eight Oscar nominations, he is the person with the most nominations in different categories. His Broadway debut in Good Night, and Good Luck also earned him a Tony nomination.
Through Smokehouse Pictures, his most recent direction was The Boys in the Boat for MGM. On television, he produced the series The Agency for Showtime, based on the French series Le Bureau des Légendes, already renewed for a second season.
