LOS ANGELES: George Clooney will formally graduate from heartthrob to Hollywood heavyweight next week when he goes to the Oscars armed with three nominations, including best director.

He won serious recognition after staking his career on the risky political drama ‘Good Night, and Good Luck.’

He has drawn nearly a billion dollars at the box office from films such as ‘Ocean’s Eleven,’ ‘Ocean’s Twelve’ is heading to the Oscars for the first time on March 5 and in grand style.

He won nods for best director and best original screenplay for ‘Good Night, and Good Luck.’ Clooney is also a best supporting actor contender for his role as a CIA agent in ‘Syriana’.

Regardless of whether he takes home Oscars statuettes from next week’s 78th-annual Academy Awards, industry experts agree that Clooney has finally arrived as a serious force in Tinseltown.