George Clooney’s Italian Job: Memorable Moments from Venice Film Festival/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ George Clooney’s long-running connection to the Venice Film Festival spans over two decades and includes career-defining film premieres, directorial achievements, and his headline-making wedding to Amal Clooney. From “Out of Sight” in 1998 to his latest project “Jay Kelly,” Venice has been both a professional and personal backdrop for the actor. Clooney’s appearances have helped shape both the festival and his public image.
George Clooney’s Venice Legacy: Quick Looks
- Clooney’s relationship with the Venice Film Festival began in 1998 with Out of Sight.
- Premiered key films in Venice, including Good Night, and Good Luck and Michael Clayton.
- In 2014, he married Amal Alamuddin in Venice at the Aman Grand Canal.
- His Lake Como residence near Venice is a famous celebrity retreat.
- In 2025, Clooney returns in Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly alongside Adam Sandler.
- Notable co-stars and collaborators over the years include Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, and Sandra Bullock.
- Directed and premiered multiple films at the festival, including Suburbicon and The Ides of March.
- Inspired signature cocktails served at Venice’s prestigious Hotel Cipriani.
- Attended as Amal’s “plus one” in 2023 at the DVF Awards.
- Clooney has been a fixture at the festival for over 25 years, evolving from actor to director to cultural icon.
George Clooney’s Italian Job: Memorable Moments from Venice Film Festival
Deep Look
VENICE, Italy (AP) — Few Hollywood stars have cultivated as rich a relationship with the Venice Film Festival as George Clooney. Spanning nearly three decades, Clooney’s history in Venice reads like a cinematic and personal timeline — from breakthrough roles and directorial acclaim to a wedding that captured global attention.
1998: Arrival with Out of Sight
Clooney’s first significant brush with Venice came in 1998, when he attended the festival for the premiere of Steven Soderbergh’s Out of Sight, alongside co-star Jennifer Lopez. The film helped solidify Clooney’s transition from television star on ER to leading man in Hollywood. That same year, he departed from the TV series that launched him, taking a leap into film full-time.
2003: Out of Competition with Intolerable Cruelty
Five years later, Clooney returned to Venice with the Coen Brothers’ screwball comedy Intolerable Cruelty, co-starring Catherine Zeta-Jones. Though the film was screened out of competition, Clooney’s presence generated media buzz. His Italian villa on Lake Como had by then become a celebrity landmark, drawing both press and fans.
A Vanity Fair profile from that year highlighted Clooney’s rising popularity in Italy, noting the curious fact that a Kentucky-born actor — who spoke no Italian — had become one of the country’s most adored public figures.
2005: Acclaimed Directorial Turn in Good Night, and Good Luck
In 2005, Clooney’s film Good Night, and Good Luck premiered in competition, marking his evolution from actor to respected director. The black-and-white historical drama about journalist Edward R. Murrow’s battle with McCarthyism earned six Academy Award nominations and remains one of Clooney’s most praised works. During his stay, he also inspired a cocktail — the “Buona Notte” — at the prestigious Belmond Hotel Cipriani, made with vodka, cranberry, lemon, sugar, ginger, and bitters.
2007-2013: Continued Success with Prestige Films
Michael Clayton (2007), which earned Clooney another Oscar nomination, premiered in competition and once again placed him among the festival’s highlights. He returned in 2008 with Burn After Reading, which opened the festival out of competition. It was the final piece in what he humorously called his “trilogy of idiots” for the Coen Brothers.
In 2011, The Ides of March, a political thriller directed by Clooney, debuted on opening night. And in 2013, Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity, featuring Clooney and Sandra Bullock, opened the festival and went on to sweep the Oscars.
2014: A Venetian Wedding
One of Clooney’s most famous Venice appearances had nothing to do with cinema. In September 2014, he married Amal Alamuddin, a renowned human rights lawyer, at the Aman Grand Canal, a historic palazzo-turned-luxury hotel. The event was a global media spectacle. Amal wore a custom Oscar de la Renta dress, while Clooney wore a classic Giorgio Armani tuxedo. The canals were packed with paparazzi as celebrities like Matt Damon and Bono joined the celebration.
2017 and Beyond: Fatherhood and Directing
In 2017, Clooney returned with Suburbicon, a dark satire he directed, starring Matt Damon and Julianne Moore. It marked his and Amal’s first public appearance since the birth of their twins, Alexander and Ella.
By 2023, the spotlight shifted to Amal, who received the DVF Award for her legal work. George appeared alongside her at the ceremony, jokingly referred to by Amal as a “rising star.”
2024: Wolfs and Political Statements
Clooney reunited with Brad Pitt for the AppleTV+ action-comedy Wolfs, which played out of competition. Though the film drew attention, more headlines focused on Clooney’s recent New York Times op-ed, where he called on President Biden to step aside from his reelection bid. His remarks at the time praised Biden’s decision as “the most selfless thing anyone’s done since George Washington.”
2025: Return with Jay Kelly
This year, Clooney stars in Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly, playing a veteran actor touring Europe with his manager, played by Adam Sandler. Longtime friend Julia Roberts will also make her Venice debut with After the Hunt, adding to the star-studded return of major Hollywood names to the Lido.
After nearly three decades of premieres, parties, and personal milestones, Clooney’s bond with Venice is more than professional—it’s emblematic of a career and life lived at the intersection of cinema and European elegance.
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