George Clooney is gearing up to receive an honor at the 2026 Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.
The Ocean 7 star has received two Academy Awards, 4 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, 1 BAFTA Award, 1 Emmy Award and 2 Critics’ Choice Awards for his work as an actor.
And because he has also served as a director and producer, he will be celebrated on the Venice Film Festival in his triple guise.
Venice Biennale, the overseer for the event, said in a statement, “A perfect combination of the star glamour of days gone by, remarkable professionalism, and modern sensitivity, the actor has crossed genres with rare versatility: war movies with ‘Three Kings’ and ‘Syriana’; thrillers with ‘Michael Clayton’; sophisticated comedies with ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ and ‘O Brother Where Art Thou?’; science fiction with ‘Gravity’ and ‘Solaris’ and and bittersweet comedies with ‘The Descendants,’ ‘Up In the Air,’ and ‘Jay Kelly.'”
It continued, “In each one of these movies, he calibrated his register while remaining true to himself: ironic and melancholy, fascinating and reflective, brilliant and capable of unexpected depth.”
Clooney then expressed his gratitude, stating, “I’ve had so many extraordinary moments in Venice. This festival is without question my favorite and to be given the Golden Lion is a tremendous honor.”
He added, “It also probably means I’m old, but I’ll take it.”
Venice chief Alberto Barbera also gushed over George, saying, “In his triple capacity as actor, director, and producer, George Clooney is a complete and charismatic artist, impassioned and original, who has transformed a deep vocation into one of the most luminous career trajectories of contemporary film.”
The 2026 Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival will take place from September 2 to 12.
