Director Christopher Chulack, who helmed the ER episode “Hell and High Water” (aired on November 9, 1995), revealed to TV Insider that the heroic storyline was what caught Warner Bros.’
attention. In the episode, Clooney’s character, Dr. Doug Ross, saves a young boy trapped in a storm drain, a scene that showcased his charisma and heroism.
The Episode That Changed Clooney’s Career
“That episode got 45 million viewers,” Chulack recalled. “The next day, this is a true story, Bob Daley and Terry Semel, who were the presidents of Warner Bros. Television, came down and knocked on George’s dressing room door and told him, ‘You’re going to be the next Batman because of the heroism of that episode.’ So I figured it’s just going to go up from here, and it did.”
Indeed, it did. After Clooney left ER in 1999 to pursue a full-time film career, he quickly became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars with acclaimed performances in Michael Clayton, Up in the Air, Syriana, and the Ocean’s Eleven franchise.
Batman & Robin’s Infamous Legacy
However, Batman & Robin itself didn’t quite live up to expectations. Directed by Joel Schumacher, the 1997 superhero film featured an all-star cast including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alicia Silverstone, Uma Thurman, and Chris O’Donnell. Despite the lineup, the movie underperformed at the box office and was widely panned by critics.
Clooney on His Infamous Batman Role
Clooney has often acknowledged the film’s poor reception with humor. “I did one superhero movie, and I f—ed it up so bad they won’t let me near the set,” he joked in October 2021 during an event at New York City’s Directors Guild of America, as reported by PEOPLE.
In December 2023, the two-time Oscar winner told Entertainment Tonight that he had no plans to ever don the cape again, quipping, “I don’t think there are enough drugs in the world for me to go back again.” However, he did make a surprise cameo as Bruce Wayne in The Flash that same year, giving fans one more nostalgic glimpse of his Batman era.