Known as much for his dating life as his acting chops, actor George Clooney will be honored at the Golden Globes for another important part of his life -- his humanitarian work.
Clooney will receive the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Cecil B. DeMille Award Sunday at the Golden Globes, recognizing both his accomplishments on screen and the work he's done helping others.
"The HFPA is honored to bestow the Cecil B. DeMille Award to George Clooney to celebrate his outstanding contributions both in front of and behind the camera,'' HFPA President Theo Kingma said in announcing the honor last year.
The award is given to a person who has made a substantial impact on the entertanment industry.
Clooney, 53, has been nominated for 13 Golden Globes, winning three times -- for his lead acting roles in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?'', "The Descendants'' and for his supporting role in "Syriana.''
He's perhaps best known for reprising Frank Sinatra's role in the remake of "Ocean's 11," making his major breakthrough on TV, in the medical drama "ER" where his performances earned him three more Golden Globe nominations.
Clooney is a two-time Oscar winner, for his supporting role in "Syriana'' and as one of the producers of best-picture winner "Argo," which also won him a Golden Globe.
He is also noted for his humanitarian work, specifically in Darfur, Africa. He co-founded the Not On Our Watch organization to raise global awareness and resources for the drought-stricken region.
In 2010, he co-produced the Hope for Haiti Now! telethon, which raised more than $66 million.
“When you get to a place where you have too much attention, it’s great to be able to deflect it to the right places because otherwise that spotlight will really burn you up," Clooney told the HPFA.
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The award puts a cap on an eventful year in Clooney's personal life.
Long considered one of Hollywood's most eligible bachelors, he married British attorney Amal Alamuddin last year in a lavish ceremony in Venice, Italy.
Previous winners of the Cecil B. DeMille Award include Woody Allen, Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg and Al Pacino. The award is named for one of Hollywood's greatest directors.
City News Service contributed to this report.
