Made in Augusta

Penny Fegan is a bartender at The Augusta Pub on Main Street in the town of about 1,200 on the Ohio River in northern Kentucky. In her job, she often gets “George questions” from out-of-towners.

“Is George Clooney from Augusta?” “Does he ever come to this pub, and how often?” “If so, where does he sit, and what is he like?”

Clooney, an accomplished actor and filmmaker, is Augusta’s most famous export. He grew up there, and his parents—Nick, a journalist, and Nina, a businesswoman and member of the Kentucky Film Commission—call it home. They often frequent The Augusta Pub.

George sometimes comes with them when he is visiting with his wife, attorney and activist Amal Alamuddin Clooney, and their 5-year-old twins, Ella and Alexander.

It was at the pub in 2018 where David Letterman talked to George’s parents about their famous son for Letterman’s Netflix show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.

Clooney, who graced the first cover of Kentucky Monthly magazine in September 1998, certainly needs no introduction.

The easy-going, Hollywood-handsome guy is the recipient of numerous accolades—including two Academy Awards, one for his acting and the other as a producer; four Golden Globe awards; four Screen Actors Guild Awards; a British Academy Film Award; and the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award.

He is a star of films and television, appearing in acclaimed movies such as O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), Syriana (2005), Michael Clayton (2007), Up in the Air (2009), The Descendants (2011) and Gravity (2014). 

In the 1978 television miniseries Centennial, Clooney—then 17—appeared in an uncredited role as a young man carrying a barrel. The scenes representing St. Louis in the late 18th and early 19th century were filmed in, of all places, Augusta.

Clooney was a national heartthrob in the TV sitcom E/R from 1984-1985. He starred in the popular dramatic television series ER from 1994-1999. Clooney will keep hearts pounding this fall in the romantic comedy film Ticket to Paradise with Julia Roberts.

The 2009 Kentucky Monthly Kentuckian of the Year, Clooney is known for his humanitarian efforts. His honors in that area include the 2007 Peace Summit Award, presented at the World Summit of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, and the 2010 Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award. He has produced three telethons: The Tribute to Heroes (post 9/11), Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope, and Hope for Haiti Now. The latter raised $66 million.

And now Clooney is about to become even more famous.

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Clooney, 61, is one of five recipients of the 45th Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievements. They will be honored in a star-studded celebration Dec. 4 at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C. CBS will air the show at a later date.

Other recipients are contemporary Christian and pop singer-songwriter Amy Grant; the legendary soul, gospel, R&B and pop singer Gladys Knight; Cuban-born American composer, conductor and educator Tania León; and iconic Irish rock band U2—Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.

George Clooney will be the second Kentuckian to receive the award, which has been presented annually since 1978.

The late Irene Dunne, a Louisville native and actress best known for her comedic film roles in the 1930s and ’40s, was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor in 1985 for her services to the arts.

Clooney, in a release from the Kennedy Center, said of his award, “Growing up in a small town in Kentucky, I could never have imagined that someday I’d be the one sitting in the balcony at the Kennedy Center Honors.

“To be mentioned in the same breath with the rest of these incredible artists is an honor. This is a genuinely exciting surprise for the whole Clooney family.”

Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein said of Clooney, “Whether saving humanity, masterminding a heist, or captaining a ship in dangerous seas, actor George Clooney’s unique brand of earnest charisma and his complete embodiment of a character has led us to root for him every time.”

“The Commonwealth is proud to see our fellow Kentuckian, George Clooney, celebrated by the Kennedy Center Honors Lifetime Achievement Award for his impact on American culture and arts,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement. “Kentucky is a special place, full of special people, and George has shown that on the national stage. On behalf of the Commonwealth, congratulations to George on this well-deserved honor.”

•  •  •

The entire Clooney family has been a boon for Augusta, said Mayor Michael Taylor. “They are good people, and we are fortunate to have them,” Taylor said.

George Clooney brings more awareness to Augusta’s status as a tourism spot, said Janet Hunt, tourism director for Augusta and Bracken County.

In 2005, the late Kentucky historian Dr. Thomas Clark listed Augusta as one of the 11 places of particular historical, cultural or ecological significance in the state. It was the only city included on his list of Kentucky’s “must-see” locations. USA Today named Augusta, with its 9 miles of unobstructed outstanding river views, the most picturesque town in Kentucky.

Tourism director Hunt said she first met Clooney when he was having breakfast with his parents at a restaurant in Augusta. “We are protective of their privacy, but I had to say something to him,” she said. “I said, ‘Hi,’ and he shook my hands and was quite charming and gracious.”

Augusta Pub bartender Fegan said the Clooneys often pose for photos with staff and patrons.

Other area restaurants and businesses that have garnered publicity by the Clooneys’ visits include the historic Beehive Augusta Tavern by the river, Caproni’s on the River restaurant in nearby Maysville, and Magee’s Bakery in Maysville, which makes George’s favorite dessert, transparent pie.

Former Kentucky Lt. Gov. Steve Henry and his wife, 2000 Miss America Heather French Henry, who is from Augusta, appreciate Clooney and his support of the nonprofit foundation they head to preserve the home of Clooney’s aunt, singer and actress Rosemary Clooney.

The modest house on Riverside Drive where Rosemary Clooney lived for about 20 years contains not only memorabilia from Rosemary Clooney, such as her costumes from the 1954 movie White Christmas, but also a few items of George’s memorabilia and costumes from some of his movies, along with a shop where visitors can purchase souvenirs.

“I remember he visited the house with his mom, and he said, ‘Steve has my baseball and tennis trophies,’ ” said Steve Henry, an orthopedic surgeon. “Nina told him, ‘Relax, George. They are just on loan.’

“We still have some of his childhood memorabilia but not his trophies.”

Henry described George as “a very funny guy who I have never seen in a bad mood.”

“The last time I saw him, the kids were climbing all over him and giving him a workout. I told him that at least they are not in diapers anymore. He replied, ‘But I am.’ ”

Henry recalled a dinner one evening with film and television producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who, with his wife, Linda, owns a farm in Bloomfield.

“I asked him how big George is,” Henry said. “He said that he’s really big. He’s reached Clark Gable status. He has put together a remarkable career of civic responsibility, philanthropy and acting. Very few people in Hollywood can do that, and he has never embarrassed himself or his family.”

Like George Clooney, Heather French Henry is, as she put it, “a chartered member of Augusta.”

“The Clooney family has served as an inspiration to me,” she said. “George has proven over and over that he is a great person. He loves this state and its people.

“All Kentuckians should be proud of what he has accomplished and especially now that he is in line for a Kennedy Center Honor.”