George Clooney's Incredible Activism, in One Timeline
If you forgot that George Clooney's résumé included political activism, last week's uptick in violence in South Sudan served as your reminder. Clooney used his celebrity to call attention to the problems there in a co-written article in the Daily Beast.
But Clooney's activism didn't start there. In fact, his outspoken political perspective dates back to 2003, when Clooney made a crack about gun enthusiast Charlton Heston, thus revealing Clooney's own feelings about the hot button issue of gun control.
Here's a brief timeline of the two-time Sexiest Man Alive's career as a political animal:
1. April 2006
Clooney spent 10 days in Chad and Sudan with his father, making the TV special, "A Journey to Darfur," which looks at Darfur's refugees and advocates for action. Shortly thereafter, Clooney spoke at a Save Darfur rally in Washington, D.C.
2. September 2006
The Gravity star and Nobel Prize winner Elie Wiesel spoke to the UN Security Council, asking the UN to find a solution to the conflict in Darfur.
3. December 2006
Along with fellow actor and activist Don Cheadle, as well as two Olympic medalists, Clooney visited China and Egypt to ask both governments to pressure Sudan's government.
4. March 2007
Clooney sent an open letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, asking the European Union to take "decisive action" in Darfur. This same year, Clooney narrated and was co-executive producer of the documentary Sand and Sorrow.
5. November 2007
Clooney appeared in the documentary film Darfur Now, a call to action to help end the crisis in Darfur.
6. December 2007
Clooney and Cheadle received the Summit Peace Award from the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in Rome.
7. January 2008
The UN announced Clooney's appointment as a messenger of peaceMessenger of Peace.
8. February 2009
Clooney visited Goz Beida, Chad, with New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof.
9. January 2010
Clooney organized a telethon that collected donations for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
10. October 2010
Clooney, along withWith the help of activist JonJohn Prendergast, the actor initiated the Satellite Sentinel Project (SSP), which aims to monitor armed activity for signs of renewed civil war between Sudan and South Sudan. They also detect and deter mass atrocities along the border.
11. May 2011
Clooney and John Prendergast co-wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post called "Dancing with a dictator in Sudan."
12. March 2012
Clooney starred withWorking alongside actors Martin Sheen and Brad Pitt, Clooney starred in a performance of Dustin Lance Black's play, 8, which is a reenactment of the federal trial that overturned California's ban on same-sex marriage. Clooney played attorney David Boies, and tTTTThe production raised money for the American Foundation for Equal Rights. In tTIn Tthe same month, Clooney was arrested for civil disobedience during a protest outside the Sudanese Embassy in Washington, D.C.
13. September 2012
Clooney took an auction winner out to lunch to benefit the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).
14. December 2013
George Clooney sent a video message of support to Ukraine's protesters earlier this month. In the video, he condemned the violent crackdown on protesters, as well as the ongoing detention of jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
