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9. "Fail Safe" (2000): Clooney grew up around the TV business. His father, Nick, was a Cincinnati news anchor and TV host, so Clooney has shown a deep interest in the quality and integrity of the medium. During his "ER" stint, he successfully pushed producers to broadcast a... more somewhat famous live episode. And in a brave experiment that should happen more often on television, Clooney recreated the excitement and verve of live teleplays (a la "Playhouse 90") with the live production of "Fail Safe," directed by Stephen Frears ("The Queen"). Adaptated by blacklist veteran Walter Bernstein from the Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler novel and executive produced by Clooney, this remake of the Sidney Lumet's 1964 original felt vintage yet refreshingly modern — in Walter Cronkite's introduction, we learn that a live teleplay hadn't happened in more than 30 years. The Cold War tale posits the nail-biting premise of the American military and the president of the United States dealing with a bomber heading to Russia, which gives the actors ample time to fret, emote and engage without the safety net of the director yelling, "Cut!" Acting with an excellent ensemble cast, Clooney plays his smaller role as a bomber pilot wonderfully straight, and he shines in an especially moving scene with his son. If he can handle this on live television, we're hoping a tread across the boards is next. (Everett Collection)