George Clooney, 65, will be honored with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 83rd Venice Film Festival, which runs from September 2 to September 12 in Italy. The actor-director expressed his delight at the upcoming recognition, calling it a tremendous honor and joking about his age.
"I've had so many extraordinary moments in Venice," Clooney said in a press release. "This festival is without question my favorite and to be given the Golden Lion is a tremendous honor. It also probably means I'm old, but I'll take it."
The festival's artistic director, Alberto Barbera, cited Clooney's extensive career as an actor, director, and producer as the reason for the award. Barbera described Clooney as "a complete and charismatic artist, impassioned and original, who has transformed a deep vocation into one of the most luminous parabolas of contemporary film."
Clooney's career spans four decades and includes numerous accolades. He won Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "Syriana" in 2006 and for producing "Argo" in 2013. He has also received four Golden Globe Awards and four consecutive Actor Awards for his work on the NBC medical drama "ER" between 1996 and 1999.
Past recipients of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement include notable figures such as Charlie Chaplin, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Sophia Loren, Jane Fonda, and Robert Redford.
In addition to his acting and directing work, Clooney has been involved in several film franchises. He is slated to begin shooting "Ocean's 14" in October, reuniting with co-stars Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, and Don Cheadle. Clooney told Variety last December that the premise of older characters using their wit to overcome limitations appeals to him.
Roberts confirmed in January that a script was being developed for "Ocean's 14" and expressed optimism about the project's quality.
Before receiving the Venice honor, Clooney will appear in Émilie Noblet's French workplace drama "Call My Agent! The Movie," which is set to premiere on Netflix on September 10.
Clooney resides on a farm in France with his wife, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, and their nine-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella. The couple also actively runs The Clooney Foundation for Justice, an organization dedicated to providing free legal aid and advocating for free speech and women's rights in over 40 countries. Clooney was previously married to actress Talia Balsam from 1993 to 1997.