Hollywood actor George Clooney is reflecting on his early days in the industry and the memorable experiences he had while navigating it.
The 64-year-old actor recently attended the Los Angeles premiere of his latest film, ‘Jay Kelly,’ where he reminisced about his beginnings, as reported by ‘People’ magazine.
When asked about stories involving his aunt, the renowned singer Rosemary Clooney, who passed away in 2002, George shared that he worked as her driver while trying to make a name for himself in Hollywood. He recounted driving many famous artists during that time.
“I remember being on the road when I was my Aunt Rosemary’s driver when she was singing. And I hadn’t known her much when I was young because I lived in Kentucky,” he said.
As he reminisced further, he noted, “She was the Hollywood aunt. So I came out to make a living and I was her driver. I got to drive her and Tony Bennett, and all of these really wonderful singers around for a year.”
According to ‘People,’ George, known for his role in ‘Oceans 11,’ emphasized that being close to major stars taught him valuable lessons early in his career.
“I got a really good life lesson in success and failure, and handling it. And I always remember that I felt very lucky that I got that lesson early in time,” he shared.
George also recounted an amusing incident where he was once yelled at by Frank Sinatra, a moment he considers a badge of pride.
“I remember he was mad at me once because I led this boycott about some press freedoms. He called me because people thought he was sick, and there were helicopters flying over his home, and he called me going, ‘It’s not working what you’re doing.’ But he was great.”
“I got yelled at by Frank Sinatra,” he added with a smile. The Oscar winner also talked about the importance of maintaining long-term friendships in the industry, emphasizing that it’s crucial to stay close to those who knew you before fame.