George Clooney has come a long way from wearing doctor scrubs on ER back in the 90's, hasn't he? Nobody expected Dr. Doug Ross would grow up to become a three-time Golden Globe and two-time Oscar-winning actor, producer, director, and activist in Hollywood.
Per his peers, there is a lot to praise about George Clooney both on and off the set, especially when we hear from those who worked under him. Although, not every employee who worked under Clooney has had flattering things to say about him.
10 He's Just As Nice As You'd Expect
George Clooney is often viewed as one of the nicest men in Hollywood. Few (if any) have uttered a bad word about him and both actors and staffers alike have spewed nothing but praise for the man over the years.
Louise Frogley is a costume designer who has worked on several of George Clooney's movies. In talking about her experience to Ask Men, she said that the only thought to go through her mind the whole time that she worked with him on Syrianna was, "What a nice man and how great to dress him."
9 But He's Meaner As A Director
Working with George Clooney as a fellow actor is a whole different experience compared to working for him as a director. When asked by Movie Web what taking direction from Clooney on the set of Leatherheads was like, John Krasinski said that "George Clooney the actor is way nicer [than as a director]."
In the same interview, Renee Zellweger had harsher words on the experience, calling him "equally impossible" as an actor and director. "It was just torture all the way around. You know, that was a tough job."
8 But An Approachable Director
The late Philip Seymour Hoffman had kinder words for George Clooney's directing skills when asked what it was like to work for the man on the set of The Ides of March. In fact, he said Clooney being an actor made him an even more approachable director because he sees two sides of the coin.
"It’s not always a good thing to work for an actor-director. But in George Clooney’s case, he has really done it all," he told Port Magazine. "The way he dealt with you was like an actor, like you’d want to be dealt with. But the way he ran the ship was like a director, a really well-educated director."
7 He's Very Giving
For years, Angel McConnell served as George Clooney's personal assistant. While speaking to Esquire, she mentioned that when she first met and started working for George Clooney, he had bought her a truck. Yes, an entire truck before he even really got to know if she'd do a great job in her role.
Even a year later, he was asking if her truck was still up and running, suggesting he'd buy her another one if it wasn't or at least pay for the repairs. What a nice guy.
6 Protective Of His Employees
Clearly, he cares a lot about his employees and is willing to go to great lengths not only to ensure they are happy and comfortable but to make sure they are safe at all times. Take, for example, when he was filming Ocean's Twelve and riding on Harley-Davidson bikes with then-girlfriend Lisa Snowden and his then-bodyguard Giovanni Zequireya.
They were all hit by a car, but Clooney was quick to rescue both his bodyguard and his girlfriend and tended to their wounds before paramedics arrived. The bodyguard must've appreciated being protected for once.
5 Protecting His Family Is A Top Priority
As much as he is willing to put his life on the line to protect his bodyguards, he stills wants a bodyguard(s) on hand willing to put their own lives on the line for himself and his family. This is why he and his wife Amal hired a new pair of bodyguards to watch over their children.
They hired these guards in an attempt to beef up security once he and Amal brought newborn twins into the world. As soon as the twins were born in 2017, these guards were ordered to watch outside of the babies' nursery.
4 He Can Make Any Costume Work
Mary Zophres, a costume designer who has worked on some of Hollywood's most celebrated pictures (including the Oscar-winning La La Land) and has worked with everyone from Scarlett Johansson to the Coen Brothers, did costume work for George Clooney in the movie Hail, Caesar.
Because everyone expected his Caesar dress to be not the most comfortable on-set wear, everyone including Zophres was impressed to see him not only stick it out the entire movie but joke about it both on and offset, using it as a "comedic prop," so Zophres put it.
3 He Seems Himself As A Regular Joe
On Quora, a Jan Winters revealed what it's like working in a studio environment with George Clooney near his production offices. One day, she casually offered him a ride to her destination near his office in a studio go-cart. Even more, interestingly, he was open to casually sitting with regular people on set, as opposed to some VIP room.
From the sounds of it, George Clooney never let his ego get the best of him into thinking he was better or bigger than the little people. Quite the contrary, he views himself as one of the regular Joes in attendance.
2 Someone You'd Do Anything For
Working with anyone in the job field must come with an ample amount of trust that your co-worker is going to do their job to the best of their ability. The same is the case when working with someone like George Clooney, either when he's in actor mode or director mode. Luckily, he's gained that sort of trust from Matt Damon.
"I’ll do anything with him,” he told Entertainment Weekly after Clooney directed him in Suburbicon. "I think we’ve done seven movies together now, and he’s just a great director. I love all the movies that he’s directed, and it just makes it a really easy choice when he calls."
1 He's The Greatest Man You'll Ever Meet
So says Shailene Woodley to DIY Magazine while recalling her experience on the set of The Descendants, where she delivered the breakout performance of her career. Her strong acting came as a result of working with lead George Clooney and director Alexander Payne.
She cited both men as "two of the greatest men I've ever met in my life. I think the thing that they both brought to set - which a lot of people don’t and I’m forever grateful for – is gratitude. They were both just as grateful to be there as all of us other actors, as the crew members, as the transportation, local guys."