George Clooney

Born in Lexington, Kentucky to beauty pageant contestant mother Nina and broadcast journalist father Nick, Clooney grew up playing on his father's news sets, appearing on The Nick Clooney show at age five where he proved to be a natural on screen. While Clooney's dramatic talents were apparent, his true passion could be seen on the baseball diamond. This Hollywood honcho even tried out for the Cincinnati Reds. As a result of his Reds rejection, Clooney embarked on a career in acting with the help of his actor cousin Miguel Ferrer. In Clooney's early days, a pal even let this soon-to-be millionaire sleep in his closet while auditioning in Los Angeles. Although acting genes ran through Clooney's blood—with Ferrer as cousin and actress/singer Rosemary Clooney as aunt—it took him a string of commercials and bit parts on shows like The Golden Girls before hitting the jackpot. In 1994, Clooney landed the role as Dr. Ross on the NBC sitcom ER where he made women across America's hearts pound every Thursday night. Since this groundbreaking role, Clooney has starred in numerous hit films, and has become one of the most admired actors of our time.