George Clooney turns 60: why he’s such a Hollywood style icon

06 May 2021

With three Golden Globes, two Oscars and a Bafta under his belt, George Clooney is one of the most successful men in Hollywood, having gone from TV actor to big screen producer, director and screenwriter.

The multi-talented star, who turns 60 on May 6, is also an outspoken activist and philanthropist, campaigning for a variety of different causes alongside wife Amal, a human rights lawyer.

As if that wasn’t enough, the dad of two (Amal gave birth to twins Alexander and Ella in 2017) has been a permanent fixture on the best-dressed celebrity lists for more than two decades. Is there anything this man can’t do?

The original dreamy doctor

Clooney shot to fame in 1994 playing paediatric specialist Doug Ross in US medical drama ER. Achieving instant heartthrob status, Clooney starred in the show for five years, somehow making white lab coats and blue and green scrubs look sexy.

Perfect red carpet fashion

Writer, director and star of the film George Clooney arrives for the gala screening of ‘Good Night And Good Luck’, on the closing night of the Times BFI London Film Festival (PA Archive)

After winning so many awards (and being nominated for countless others), Clooney is a red carpet veteran and always dresses to impress.

George Clooney attending the Lost in Space event to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the OMEGA Speedmaster held in the Turbine Hall, Tate Modern, 25 Sumner Street, Bankside, London (PA Archive)

Whether it’s a classic black tie tuxedo at the Oscars, a midnight blue designer suit for a premiere, or laidback look for a Cannes photocall, the actor never puts a fashionable foot wrong.

Exceptional on-screen style

From suave bank robber Jack Foley in Out Of Sight (1998) to dapper Danny Ocean in the Ocean’s Eleven franchise, Clooney has played some very stylish movie characters.

Beyond the silver screen, he even manages to look cool when he’s advertising coffee or his tequila brand Casamigos.

One half of the ultimate power couple

Royal wedding (PA Archive)

It’s not as if Clooney needed any assistance in the fashion department, but when he married British-Lebanese human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in 2014, the pair became one of Hollywood’s most stylish couples.

Amal Clooney and George Clooney attend a dinner for donors, supporters and ambassadors of Prince�s Trust International at Buckingham Palace in London (PA Archive)

Sending the paparazzi wild whenever they appear on the red carpet together, always decked out in their designer finest, the Clooneys are the definition of #couplegoals.

He’s survived some seriously dodgy trends

American actors George Clooney (R) and Mark Wahlberg attending the UK premiere of The Perfect Storm (PA Archive)

Did you know Clooney used to have a mullet? And that he’s sported some rather questionable goatees through the years? Nowadays he keeps it classic with his hair and beard choices, but the fact he’s survived these dodgy looks only makes us love him more.

Gets better with age

George and Amal Clooney, representing the Clooney Foundation for Justice, arrive at the People’s Postcode Lottery charity gala at the McEwan Hall in Edinburgh (PA Archive)

As he heads into his 60s, rather than attempting to turn back the clock, Clooney is embracing his grey hair and has grown a beard to match.

And he’s handling his big birthday with typical sardonic wit. Asked in an interview about it recently, Clooney said: “Listen, I’m not thrilled with it but it’s better than dead. So I’ll take it.”

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