Bafta in London by TheStyleKing

Feb. 10, 2012 - PRLog -- This weekend, the worlds eyes are on London as we celebrate the Orange British Academy Film Awards and George Clooney is an actor we will be hoping to see. A  Hollywood success story of epic proportions. From television star to silver screen actor and acclaimed director, Clooney has become a marker for cinematic success. With his latest role in The Descendants being described as the best performance of his career, nominated for a prestigious British Academy of Film and Television Award as well as a coveted Oscar, Clooney is showing no signs of slowing down.

But as with any Hollywood leading man, look has always been crucial.
Channelling golden era greats, like Cary Grant and Gregory Peck, Clooney exudes clean cut masculinity, consistently looking impeccable in perfectly cut suits. But don't be fooled, behind this clean cut facade there is a glint behind Clooney's eye that has enchanted men and women for over two decades.Born to a beauty queen and local anchorman, there was an inevitability to Clooney's rise to fame. It was a traditional rise to prominence that is rarely seen in our now media saturated world, a rise whereby Clooney worked his way up the ranks like movie stars of old. Starting out in the realms of the television sitcom, Clooney had a walk-on in Golden Girls, before a minor supporting role in Roseanne.

But it was on television sitcom ER that cemented Clooney's status as an actor to be reckoned with. Playing the handsome Dr Doug Ross, Clooney became a heartthrob to millions of women worldwide. Playing a sitcom stalwart character - the charming doctor with a dysfunctional relationship with his family - Clooney proved that television actors had as much to offer as their big screen counterparts. Making doctor's scrubs look the epitome of style, Clooney became a style icon for men everywhere. Who wouldn't want to mimic the style of the most eligible bachelor in the world?It wasn't long before Clooney was noticed by Hollywood. First cast in the Robert Rodriguez movie, From Dusk Til Dawn, Clooney's Hollywood ascent followed quickly. Starring in a string of blockbusters, from The Peacemaker with Nicole Kidman to Joel Schumacher's Batman and Robin, Clooney proved he had staying power. He found a new niche in Hollywood - the blockbuster with brains. From The Perfect Storm to O Brother, Where Art Thou, Clooney cleverly picked films that challenged him as an actor whilst expanding his star appeal. On the red carpet, Clooney perfected his old Hollywood style, his appearances always marked by a defiant air of mystery around his private life.

It was the Ocean's 11 series that reinvented George Clooney for a new era of cinema goers. Directed by Steven Soderburgh, Ocean's 11 was a rewrite of a 1960s Rat Pack movie about a heist on a Vegas casino.
Clooney took the Sinatra role, that of the charming Danny Ocean. He was the perfect man for the role - leading an ensemble cast including Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia and Julia Roberts, Clooney was like the wise, older man of Hollywood. It was a formula that worked - with Ocean's 12 and Ocean's 13 just as well received by both the public and the press. The costumes suited Clooney down to the ground - 1960s Rat Pack style modernised for the 2000s.During this same period, Clooney also found success on the other side of the camera. Directing and starring in the highly acclaimed Goodnight and Good Luck, about 1950s television journalist Edward R. Murrow, Clooney gained an Oscar nod for Best Director. He also directed Leatherheads, a sports comedy, proving Clooney's consistent versatility.

This year has seen Clooney again rise to prominence. His role in The Descendants as a flawed Hawaiian lawyer coping with life as he attempts to reconnect with his two daughters after his wife suffers from a boating accident proves his breadth as an actor. It is a subtle performance, combining humour with deep human emotion and has deservedly won nominations from almost every major awards ceremony in the world. He is truly an actor at the top of his game. And as his awards ceremony appearances so far this year show - he is looking better, and more stylish, than ever.