George Clooney is beaming

George Clooney has come a long way from his days as a struggling actor in the 1980s, appearing on such TV series as "The Facts of Life" and forgettable features like "Return to Horror High." This morning, the 44-year-old actor-writer-director received three top Oscar nominations for "Good Night, and Good Luck" and "Syriana." He's nominated for best director and, with Grant Heslov, for original screenplay for "Good Night, and Good Luck." The $8-million budgeted black-and-white drama is Clooney's second film as a director. He made his debut with 2003's quirky "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind." "I'm in the enviable position of being able to force studios to make films that they wouldn't ordinarily make," Clooney told the Los Angeles Times recently. He financed "Good Night," in which he also appears as CBS producer Fred Friendly, with outside partners. "I got a dollar for writing the script," he told The Times last year. "I had to endorse my check for directing and turn in my acting salary. Grant [Heslov, co-writer, actor and producer] and I each made a buck for doing it." He also convinced Warner Bros. — he took no money upfront — to make the political thriller "Syriana," for which he gained 35 pounds for his role as a veteran CIA operative. Clooney picked up an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor for that role. Though many actors have directed themselves to best acting nominations and even wins — including Laurence Olivier for "Hamlet," Warren Beatty for "Reds" and Woody Allen for "Annie Hall" — Clooney is the first performer to be nominated in the directing and acting categories for separate films in the same year. [LaTimes]