Terrence Rafferty of the NYTimes writes in his article "Being Clooney: Not as Easy as It Looks" that George Clooney's success, propelled by his obvious charm and good looks, is also largely due to his self-awareness as an actor, choosing roles that complement his skills. "He hasn't typecast himself," Rafferty writes, "It’s fairer to say that he has chosen his roles with an extremely canny awareness of his range...You wouldn’t want to see him as Richard III, and he’s smart enough not to try."

Unlike actors like Johnny Depp and Daniel Day-Lewis, Clooney's "range" doesn't extend wide across the spectrum, but he still manages to present his audiences with variety. Take his roles in the Coen brothers films, O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU? and BURN AFTER READING, in addition to OCEAN'S ELEVEN and TWELVE: although these movies are both full of exaggerated, nearly cartoon-like characters, Clooney's performance is still restrained, digestible, and recognizably "Clooney".

Rafferty believes that Steven Soderbergh's comic caper movie OUT OF SIGHT is the first film in which Clooney found his identity in a role that put him "at ease". In the film, Clooney plays a thief and escaped convict who admires the United States Marshal, played by Jennifer Lopez, who is trying to bring him down. "His performance is all sly looks and bone-dry readings," Rafferty writes, describing the successful, "bankable" star persona that became the foundation for Clooney's career.