This world-famous actor is also a film producer, director, and is an outspoken activist, known for his many roles in blockbuster and Oscar-worthy movies. Could Clooney also have an Italian background?
George Clooney is not Italian. Clooney was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and is of Irish, German, and English descent. He and his sister were raised as strict Roman Catholics, as his family was very religious as they were growing up.
Read on to find out more about Clooney’s early life and family background, as well as his life after becoming a successful actor.
Clooney’s Childhood
Clooney was born in Kentucky to his mother, Nina Bruce, who was a beauty queen and city councilwoman, and Nick Clooney, who was an anchorman and television host. The family, which also included his older sister, Ada, moved around a lot within Ohio and Kentucky before landing in Augusta, Kentucky.
The family is of Irish, German, and English descent, but some of his fans may have speculated that he was Italian because his family has such close ties to Roman Catholicism. In an interview with Larry King, he talked about his experiences with religion when he was growing up.
When King asked if he was raised a strict Catholic, Clooney said, “Yes, we were Catholic, big time, whole family, whole group… I was an altar boy, did the whole thing. Latin masses too.”
Though his family is very religious, Clooney didn’t maintain the same beliefs. “I got in trouble a couple times when I was young because I asked some interesting questions, you know… I was saying, ‘Well, without Judas, this whole thing doesn’t work.’”
“So I thought well maybe Judas understood that it was his job and he actually decided he would be the–and I’ve written a piece like that. It was just experimenting, I got in a lot of trouble for that.”
While he doesn’t have the same faith, Clooney explains that he tries to always respect the beliefs of others, saying, “I think that whatever anybody believes, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else, it’s fair enough and it works. And I think it’s real and matters. I don’t happen to have those beliefs as much. I don’t believe in those things.”
Italian Properties
Another reason why fans may have thought that Clooney was Italian could be because of how much time he spends in Italy. He and his family as well as a few choice guests spend all of their summers in his beloved property in the quiet village of Laglio, Italy, on the coast of Lake Como.
He’s been spending his summers there since he discovered it in 2002. He and his friend Rande Gerber were traveling across Italy on their motorcycles when one of their bikes broke down right in front of the Villa Oleandra.
The owners of the villa took them inside to help them and ended up selling the property to Clooney for over seven million dollars. He’d fallen in love with the property as soon as he saw it, and decided to buy the building next door as well for guests and to secure his and his family’s privacy.
Of course, the Clooneys being there brought a lot of media attention to the small village. Paparazzi and fans alike began flocking to the area, but the City Council then passed regulations to protect his privacy.
If you’re not a resident of Laglio, you can no longer pass through the immediate vicinity of the Clooneys’ property. With the support of the community, it’s easy to see why the place is so dear to Clooney and his family.
Among Clooney’s guests have been actors like Brad Pitt, Cindy Crawford, Matt Damon, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, and even the Obamas have visited the beautiful property.
Watch the YouTube video below for an outdoor view of George Clooney’s Lake Como property.