George Clooney reflects on Aunt Rosemary, getting yelled at by Frank Sinatra

George Clooney is reminiscing about his early Hollywood days and the remarkable people who shaped his journey.

The 64-year-old actor told People magazine on the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of his new film, Jay Kelly.

When asked about memories involving his late aunt, legendary singer Rosemary Clooney, who passed away in 2002, Clooney shared a story that dates back to the start of his career.

“I remember being on the road [...] I was my Aunt Rosemary's driver when she was singing,” he recalled.

“And I hadn't known her much when I was young because I lived in Kentucky. She was the Hollywood aunt. So I came out to make a living and I was her driver. And I got to drive [her] and Tony Bennett, and all of these really wonderful singers around for a year,” he added.

Clooney said those experiences taught him a meaningful lesson early on. “I got a really good life lesson in success and failure, and handling it. And I always remember that [...] I felt very lucky that I got that lesson early in time,” he shared.

The Ocean’s Eleven star also revealed a memorable encounter with Frank Sinatra. “I remember he was mad at me once because I led this boycott about [...] some press freedoms, and he called me because people thought he was sick and there were helicopters flying over his [home], and he called me going, ‘It's not working what you're doing!’” Clooney laughed.

“But he was great,” he added. “I got yelled at by Frank Sinatra!”

Reflecting on his long-standing friendships, Clooney said staying grounded has always mattered most. “Well, I mean, most of my friends [...] we've been friends for 40 years. I slept on their couch when I was broke. And so they're always around when things and people are giving you too much credit,” he explained.

“They're the first people to remind you that they're full of crap. That's always helpful. It's helpful to have people that know you long before you were defined by something else, by movies you've done or work you've done and that kind of thing.”