George Clooney Opens Up About How Much He Failed Before 'ER'

Cinema Blend

By all accounts, George Clooney is one of the best actors of his generation and one of the most accomplished stars in the history of Hollywood. Clooney’s wave of success began in earnest in the ‘90s, when he landed the role of Dr. Doug Ross on NBC’s ER, which became a success. However, before taking on the role of the noble and suave medical practitioner, Clooney had to pay his dues and that meant experiencing his share of failures. The fan-favorite actor reflected on that part of his career while speaking with CinemaBlend.  Clooney spoke with us while promoting his 2025 movie release, Jay Kelly, which sees him play a seasoned actor struggling with personal regrets from his past. Considering the character’s journey, CinemaBlend asked Clooney how his own life and career compare to Jay’s. Clooney opined that unlike him, Jay found success early on and, as he explained, it took him some time to find his own footing within show business.

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00:00You're just talking about your kid, and you know, like you're married now.

00:02Do you think that that life is helping you avoid the pitfalls that Jay fell into of not making time

00:08for him?

00:08Well, if you think about it, I have to assume that Jay probably was much more successful at a much

00:13younger age.

00:14I'd already done 13 television pilots and 7 series before ER, and ER was sort of the launching pad for

00:23me.

00:23So I'd failed a bunch, you know what I mean?

00:26And so I was a little more prepared in life for success.

00:32You know, when you fail a bunch, you go, you understand how little it has to do with you when

00:36you succeed, you know?

00:38And so I had a better sort of way in.

00:41And so, you know, yes, absolutely, my family, two 8-year-olds ground me every minute of the day, as

00:47you can imagine.

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