AARP The Magazine announced today that George Clooney will receive its annual Movies for Grownups Career Achievement Award.
Clooney – a recipient of two Academy Awards, a BAFTA and three Golden Globes, including the Cecil B. DeMille award – will be honored at the Movies for Grownups (MFG) Awards, broadcast on Sunday, March 28, 2021, at 8 p.m. by Great Performances on PBS.
“We are delighted to honor George Clooney, whose mastery – and wit – make him one of the most talented and beloved actors of our day, and a director who’d be famous even if we’d never seen him onscreen,” said AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins. “The combination of his smarts, hard work and experience shows just how wrong stereotypes about aging are.”
For two decades, AARP’s Movies for Grownups program has championed movies for grownups, by grownups, by advocating for the 50-plus audience, fighting industry ageism and encouraging films that resonate with older viewers. AARP’s Movies for Grownups has always focused on quality content and will continue to do so by expanding its awards program to TV categories.
Clooney will receive Movies for Grownups’ highest honor at the virtual awards ceremony, which will also include recognition for 2020’s best films and filmmakers, including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Television Series for Grownups and more.
He joins a prestigious list of previous AARP Movies for Grownups Career Achievement honorees, including Annette Bening, Kevin Costner, Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, Shirley MacLaine, Helen Mirren, Robert Redford, Susan Sarandon, and Sharon Stone.
George Clooney began his career on television, rising to national prominence in his 30s in the hit medical drama ER, playing Dr. Doug Ross. He earned two Primetime Emmy nominations in 1995 and 1996 for his work on the show. Clooney branched out into movie work in films such as From Dusk Till Dawn, One Fine Day, and The Peacemaker. His work with Steven Soderbergh in Out of Sight cemented his status as a leading man and began one of Hollywood’s most fruitful director-actor collaborations. Clooney continued to demonstrate his range as an actor in The Perfect Storm, O Brother, Where Art Thou? and a remake of the Rat Pack romp Ocean’s Eleven, which inspired two hit sequels. With each film, box office success followed. Clooney’s directorial debut came in 2002, with the film Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. Since, Clooney has continued to push himself as an actor, taking on challenging roles that have further established him as a smart, serious actor. Clooney’s success continued in the streaming era, as he produced, directed and starred in Hulu’s Catch-22, and Netflix’s The Midnight Sky. His films have grossed $1.9 billion and continue to prove Clooney’s success as an actor over 50 in Hollywood. He continues to forge his own path as an all-around entertainment powerhouse.
The MFG Awards winners will be announced on March 4 at www.aarp.org/moviesforgrownups. The virtual ceremony will be broadcast by Great Performances on Sunday, March 28, 2021, at 8 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/moviesforgrownups and the PBS Video app.
AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment.
