George Clooney’s mother, Nina Bruce Clooney, was born in August 1939, per Geni. Her good looks helped her embark on a sojourn as a beauty queen, and she almost won the title of Miss Kentucky — earning the runner-up spot instead. It was during these competitions that she caught the eye of Nick Clooney, who later became her husband.
Nina’s beauty queen genes were certainly a boon to George, who has won the title of People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” award twice — an honor that Business Insider notes has only been given to three other men.
After finishing the pageant circuit, Nina became a city councilwoman. However, Nina Clooney’s time in front of the cameras is far from over, and she has often joined her son and his dates on the red carpet at movie premiere events.
For example, she joined George and his then-girlfriend, Lisa Snowdon, in the 2004 premiere of “Ocean’s Twelve” (via Boston). Similarly, Nina was George’s second date when he brought her and Elisabetta Canalis to the 2009 premiere of “Up in the Air.”
At the time, he poked fun at his 31-year-old Italian girlfriend while on the carpet by suggesting that she was the third wheel, rather than his mother.
“This is my mother,” George reportedly told fans at the screening. “And then this random woman just came up,” he added, per The Express.
