Nicholas Joseph Clooney, famously known as Nick Clooney, has achieved great success in his career as a journalist, game show presenter, and TV host. He gained fame as a popular TV host from his hosting duties on The Money Maze and The Nick Clooney Show.
That’s not all, he is also quite popularly recognized as the father of dashing and talented actor George Clooney. Let’s dive in and learn more about George Clooney’s father.
Nick Clooney Biography
Nicholas Joseph Clooney was born in Maysville, Kentucky, United States, on the 13th of January 1934, to Andrew Joseph Clooney and Marie Frances (Guilfoyle) Clooney. He was their fifth child, and his ancestry includes Irish and German from his father’s side, and Irish from his mother’s.
During his service in the U.S. Army, Nick Clooney was a Corporal and a disc jockey for the American Forces Network in Germany. He was the presenter of the programs Melody-Go-Round and Music in the Air.
After Nick Clooney’s time in the military, he moved to California in the hope of beginning a career in the entertainment field. When this plan didn’t work out, he changed direction and went to Ohio.
Siblings
Nick has two siblings, Rosemary Clooney and Betty Clooney, both well-known singers and television presenters. It is reported that his father was an alcoholic and his parents had a troubled relationship, which led to them divorcing in the late 1930s.
Frances later married William Stone in 1939 and gave birth to Nick’s stepsister, Gail. Allegedly, Nick spent much of his childhood with his grandmother.
Career
Nick Clooney began his television career at WKYT-TV in Lexington, Kentucky, from 1958 to 1966, before he relocated to Ohio. In 1968, he established his own morning show on WLWC in Columbus, titled The Nick Clooney Show.
It featured a variety of topics and a talk show format. The following year, it was broadcast on WCPO-TV in Cincinnati. It was in the 1970s when the show was aired on WKRC-TV, that his fame started to grow.
Nick rose to national prominence in December 1974 when he hosted the ABC television game show The Money Maze.
In 1984, Nick departed from his role at WKRC and relocated to Los Angeles, California to join KNBC as the co-anchor for the 5 PM and 11 PM newscasts. After his stint at WKRC, he moved to Salt Lake City, Utah to host a new evening news program on KSTU, which is an affiliate of the Fox network.
Ken Lucas, a Representative from Kentucky’s 4th District, chose not to run for re-election during the 2004 U.S. House of Representatives elections in Kentucky. He picked Nick to be the Democratic nominee to contend for the vacant seat against Republican Geoff Davis.
Despite Nick’s strong beginning with a strong lead, he was defeated by his Republican opponents in the election with 44% to 54%. Following the results, Nick announced his retirement from politics in his concession speech.
On June 8, 2012, Nick had the honor of being the commencement speaker at the University of Cincinnati. The following day, he was given an honorary degree in recognition of his work.
In the 2014 war film The Monuments Men, which was both directed and starred in by George Clooney, Nick portrayed an older version of Lt. Frank Stokes, while the younger version was acted by George.
Personal Life
Nick and Nina Warren first connected at a beauty pageant where Nick was a judge and Nina was a contestant. In August of 1959, the couple tied the knot and were blessed with two children – daughter Adelia (known as Ada) and son George.
The strong connection between the father and the son is visible, and it is especially evident when they are both together in the same place. During an interview, Nick Clooney, George’s father, recounted some fond memories of George when he was a child.
“When he was tiny — maybe three — we were at his grandparents, and there was a puppy there. He was playing with the puppy, and the puppy snapped at him.”
He continued,
“That was the first time that had ever happened to him, and he was outraged. And he cried, but he also picked the puppy up and bit it. (Laughs) What a perfect sense of justice.”
Nick Clooney’s Net Worth
Nick is estimated to have a net worth somewhere between $1 million to $5 million. His son, on the other hand, is a successful actor, philanthropist, producer, writer, and director and boasts a fortune of $550 million.
