How One ER Episode Made George Clooney Hollywood’s Next Batman
You know how sometimes a single moment can change the course of a career? Well, for George Clooney, that moment came on ER , and it was nothing short of iconic. Thirty years ago, on November 9, 1995, the ER episode “Hell and High Water” aired, and it immediately became unforgettable. Clooney’s character, Dr. Doug Ross, was just about to leave the hospital for a private practice job when he ended up in the middle of a dramatic rescue during a violent storm. A young boy was trapped in a storm drain, and Doug didn’t hesitate—he dove in and saved him. The image of Clooney rising from the water with the boy in his arms became one of television’s most enduring moments, broadcast live for all the ER viewers to witness.
Director Christopher Chulack, who helmed that episode, recently recalled how pivotal it was for Clooney’s career. The episode drew a massive audience—45 million viewers—and it was precisely this heroic portrayal that caught the eye of Warner Bros. executives. Chulack shared that the very next day, the heads of Warner Bros. Television visited Clooney’s dressing room and told him he was going to be the next Batman, all because of that one daring scene. It was a moment of recognition that set the stage for Clooney’s rise in Hollywood.
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After leaving ER in 1999 to focus on movies, Clooney’s career skyrocketed. He became a household name, starring in acclaimed films like Michael Clayton , Up in the Air , Syriana , and the Ocean’s Eleven series. Yet, despite the trajectory of his success, his time as Batman was a humbling detour. Batman & Robin , released in 1997 and directed by Joel Schumacher, was a star-studded affair with Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alicia Silverstone, Uma Thurman, and Chris O’Donnell. Unfortunately, it failed to meet expectations and was widely criticized, leaving Clooney with a notorious Hollywood misstep.
But true to his charming self, Clooney has always addressed the film with humor. In a 2021 event at the Directors Guild of America, he joked that he had “messed up so badly” that no one would let him near another superhero set. In 2023, he confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that he had no intention of donning the cape again, adding with a laugh that “there aren’t enough drugs in the world” to get him back into Batman’s suit. Fans, however, got a nostalgic treat that same year when Clooney made a surprise cameo as Bruce Wayne in The Flash , giving a final wink to his superhero days.
So, from saving a boy in a storm drain on ER to becoming Hollywood royalty, that one episode truly shaped George Clooney’s career—and even though Batman & Robin didn’t work out as planned, it remains an unforgettable chapter in his journey. It’s a reminder that sometimes, heroism on screen can open doors you never even imagined.
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