Skip to main content
Cloudy icon
73Āŗ

See George Clooney's memorable moments at Venice Film Festival as actor prepares to return

1 / 14

2011 AP

FILE - George Clooney poses on the red carpet at the premiere of his film "The Ides of March," opening the 68th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy on Aug. 31, 2011. (AP Photo/Andrew Medechini, File)

No Hollywood star seems as intrinsically tied to Venice as George Clooney.

Twenty-six years ago he attended his first Venice Film Festival with the instant classic ā€œOut of Sightā€; 19 years ago, itā€™s where he debuted his sophomore film, ā€œGood Night, and Good Luck,ā€ which earned him his first best director nomination; and 10 years ago, itā€™s where he exchanged vows with then Amal Alamuddin, at the Aman Venice, a five-star hotel perched alongside the Grand Canal.

Recommended Videos



Venice is a city that he, like many, thinks is one of the most beautiful in the world. Unlike most people, he also owns 15-bedroom villa a few hours away on Lake Como that famously co-starred in ā€œOceanā€™s Twelve.ā€

Though heā€™s never all that far away from Venice, or the cityā€™s namesake film festival, it might come as a surprise that Clooney hasnā€™t had a film debut there in seven years. But that clock resets next week as he returns with ā€œWolfs,ā€ the Jon Watts-directed heist thriller that reunites him with Brad Pitt.

It wonā€™t be the first time Clooney and Pitt have graced the festivalā€™s red carpet together, either. In anticipation of his big return, here are some of Clooneyā€™s most memorable Venice moments.

1998: ā€œOut of Sightā€

As legend has it, Clooney's longterm love affair with Venice may have begun with the festival's premiere of Steven Soderbergh's Elmore Leonard adaptation ā€œOut of Sight.ā€ Then 37 and doing press alongside Jennifer Lopez, the actor would also make another big jump soon: Leaving ā€œERā€ that February.

2003: ā€œIntolerable Crueltyā€

This Coen brothers joint, co-starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, premiered out of competition at the 60th Venice Film Festival, alongside titles like ā€œMatchstick Men,ā€ ā€œOnce Upon a Time in Mexicoā€ and ā€œThe Dreamers.ā€ Clooney's nearby Italian residence was already as famous as him, and a stakeout spot for amateur and professional paparazzi.

In a profile that fall, while shooting ā€œOcean's Twelve,ā€ Vanity Fair writer Ned Zeman observed: ā€œThat an affable, self-effacing Kentucky-born Hollywood actor is fast becoming the most popular public figure in Italy says a little about Italy and a lot about Clooney, who isnā€™t Italian, doesnā€™t speak Italian, and lives here only in summertime.ā€

2005: ā€œGood Night and Good Luckā€

Clooney's acclaimed black-and-white dramatization of journalist Edward R. Murrow's clash with Joseph McCarthy began its successful run in competition at the 62nd Venice Film Festival. Though it lost the Golden Lion to Ang Lee's ā€œBrokeback Mountain,ā€ it did go on to pick up six Oscar nominations including for Clooney's directing. Next year, he'll also be making his Broadway debut in an adaptation.

During the trip, he also inspired a cocktail still served at the ritzy Belmond Hotel Cipriani on Giudecca. One night he retreated to the hotel's Gabbiano Bar where his friend, the legendary bar manager Walter Bolzonella, mixed him a drink of lemon, sugar, vodka, cranberry juice, ginger and Angostura bitters and named it Buona Notte in honor of the film. The two would later name a Prosecco, passionfruit and elderflower cocktail La Nina after Clooney's mother, which was served at his wedding.

2007: ā€œMichael Claytonā€

Tony Gilroy's ā€œMichael Clayton," which nabbed Clooney an Oscar nomination for his turn as the titular law firm fixer, played in competition at Venice. The top prize went again to an Ang Lee film: ā€œLust, Caution," which also beat out the likes of ā€œI'm Not There,ā€ ā€œAtonementā€ and ā€œThe Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.ā€

2008: ā€œBurn After Readingā€

This Coen brothers comedy featuring Clooney and Pitt opted to debut out of competition in the opening night slot. He said it completed his ā€œtrilogy of idiots" that he'd played for the Coens, including ā€œIntolerable Crueltyā€ and ā€œO Brother, Where Art Thou?ā€ ā€œLooking at the parts we are playing, Iā€™m very concerned about what you think of us,ā€ Clooney said at the press conference. Pitt, who'd won the festival's acting prize the year prior, added: ā€œLike George ā€¦ Iā€™m not sure if I should be flattered or insulted."

2011: ā€œThe Ides of Marchā€

Another opening night, out of competition slot debut for this Clooney-directed campaign thriller starring Ryan Gosling and Philip Seymour Hoffman. As usual, Clooney was peppered with political questions in which he observed that, ā€œit's a very difficult time to govern.ā€

2013: ā€œGravityā€

Alfonso CuarĆ³n's ā€œGravityā€ opened the 70th edition of the Venice Film Festival before going on to win seven Oscars. Clooney, of course, attended the premiere alongside Sandra Bullock and he was self-deprecating about his role: ā€œThere were only two parts and Sandy had the other one, so I felt like this was the only one I could get away with.ā€

2014: George and Amal get married

The canals were packed with paparazzi for the nuptials of one of Hollywood's favorite bachelors. On Sept. 27, Clooney, then 53, and Alamuddin, then 36, exchanged vows in front of 100 of their closest friends and family, including Bono and Matt Damon, at the luxury hotel Aman Grand Canal, originally a grand palazzo built in 1550. She wore a custom Oscar de la Renta dress, of French lace, pearls and diamantƩ accents. He wore a black wool/cashmere Giorgio Armani tuxedo.

2017: "Suburbicon"

Clooney returned to the festival with another of his directing projects, ā€œSuburbicon,ā€ a dark comedic satire about a seemingly idyllic 1950s community with Damon and Julianne Moore. This festival was especially notable for it being the Clooneys' first public appearance since the birth of their twins, Alexander and Ella, a few months prior.

2023: Spotlight on Amal

This time George was the plus one to Amal, who was receiving an award from the Diane von Furstenberg and The Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation for her work as a human rights lawyer. The power couple gave last year's festival some much-needed star power amid the actors strike with an appearance at the adjacent DVF Awards. ā€œI am here in Venice with my husband; he is a rising star,ā€ she said that night. ā€œI just wanted to say, you, my love, like this city, take my breath away."


Loading...

Recommended Videos