'Batman & Robin' biggest influence on my career, says George Clooney

George Clooney called "Batman & Robin" a career wake-up call for him and said it was after the epic debacle of the film he realised that he wanted to be in "control" of the work he does.

The 1997 superhero film, which was both a critical and commercial dud at the box office, saw the 57-year-old star don the costume as Gotham's Caped Crusader.

When asked which of his films has had the biggest influence on his craft, Clooney answered the question in a heartbeat.

"It's really easy to pick: Batman & Robin. That's not a joke. Up until that moment, I was an actor only concerned with finding work. After the failure of that film creatively, I understood that I needed to take control of the films I made, not just the role.

"My next three films were 'Out of Sight', 'Three Kings' and 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?'" the actor told The Hollywood Reporter.

Clooney, who made his acting debut on television in 1978 with "ER", dubbed the medical drama as his moment of arrival.

His role as Dr Doug Ross led him to gain wide recognition.

"Certainly 'ER' was the game-changer for me. I'd done seven TV series and 13 pilots, and nothing stuck. 'ER' was such a phenomenon that it swept all of us up in it," he added.