George Clooney is getting the Golden Lion.
The actor is set to be honored at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. The board of directors of La Biennale made the decision to honor Clooney, as recommended by the artistic director of the festival, Alberto Barbera.
"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. It also probably means I’m old, but I’ll take it," Clooney said in a statement.
Barbera called Clooney a triple threat in his own statement, complimenting his work as an 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 parabolas of contemporary film. An early career launched without shortcuts, with small roles in TV series and B movies until his major success as the star of the series ER, formed an actor who is able to inhabit the screen with disarming spontaneity," Barbera said. "He is endowed with the gift of making his characters seem not only credible but desirable, approachable, and human, thanks to his undeniable charm. But Clooney’s charisma is constructed on his credibility, not on his image, because his seductive side has never been merely aesthetic."
The festival's artistic director continued, saying Clooney is "a perfect combination of the star glamour of days gone by, remarkable professionalism, and modern sensitivity, the actor has crossed the genres with rare versatility."
The 2026 Venice International Film Festival will take place from Sept. 2 to Sept. 12.
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