GI George
Amongst other things George is also known to be politically active, and his more action focused films always seem to have an underlying agenda to educate the masses – something that most people are willing to accept while watching him on the big screen.

His stand out role as Bob Barnes in Syriana is possibly one of his best performances (and led to him picking up his first Academy Award), and his 1999 role as Major Archie Gates in The Three Kings is another stand out performance.

Our pick:
Syriana, Bob Barnes – the fact that Clooney picked up his first Academy Award for his role as Bob Barnes gives you an idea that this was probably quite good. Highlighting the murky underbelly of America’s foreign policy, Clooney plays a CIA agent on the hunt for terrorists in the Middle East.

Packing on the pounds for this film, Barnes is a ‘weightier’ role than Clooney’s average; seeing him combine compassion and emotional intensity with a sense of danger that he just can’t get away from. A must see performance.

Sexy George
It’s hardly necessary to point out that, in fact, George Clooney is extremely sexy. Proving this point Out Of Sight was voted 2008’s sexiest film ever by show business "bible" Entertainment Weekly readers.

We could quote numerous roles, films and instances when George has proved again and again that he is very sexy, but…well, there’s just no need.

Our pick:
Out of Sight, Jack Foley  –after a number of not-quite-so-successful films George finally hit his stride when landing his role in Steven Soderbergh’s Out of Sight. The story of an escaped bank robber on the run from J-Lo, becomes a tangled romantic web when the cop and the robber get a little steamy.

The role seems like it was tailor made for Clooney, and his charm and charisma throughout will have the ladies swooning and the men green with envy.

George in charge
Proving that his talents do not simply lie on screen recent years have seen Clooney move into directing, writing and producing films. We think that there’s still a lot more to come from George in this department, and can’t wait to see what he has in store for us in the future!

Our pick:
Good Night, And Good Luck, Fred Friendly – although George doesn’t actually star in this film (David Strathairn gained an Oscar nomination), we thought as only his second attempt at direction (he also co-wrote the film) it was an important addition to the list.

Seriously underappreciated, Good Night, and Good Luck has stunning visuals while staying true to the history of the story, and is a study in elegantly powerful film making while not being too pushy with its moral.

Up In The Air is released 15th January.

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