George Clooney Pleads for Diplomatic Action in Sudan

George Clooney earned a living through the '80s with bit parts on The Facts of Life and Roseanne, but at 33, he raised heart rates and his celebrity status as Dr. Doug Ross on the NBC juggernaut ER.

Clooney became a household name and bonafide sex symbol (twice dubbed by PEOPLE the Sexiest Man Alive). When he made the jump to the big screen, Clooney alternated between big-budget studio films (the Ocean's Eleven franchise) and smaller, more politically minded fare. He earned Oscar nods for directing and cowriting Good Night, and Good Luck, and that same year, Clooney became an Oscar winner for his supporting role in Syriana.