• October 19, 2009
• Vol. 72
• No. 16

35 Years of People

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From PEOPLE Magazine

You can pack a lot of glamour into 35 years. And the same can be said for the next 39 pages, in which we chronicle the era's hottest couples, coolest fads and vast spectrum of celebs. To start us off, we asked Hollywood A-listers to look back and reflect on everything from their role models to the worst rumors about them

STARS LOOK BACK!

WHAT PERSON HAS BEEN THE MOST INFLUENTIAL IN YOUR LIFE?

My father. He's a newsman, and he's shaped the person I am today.

—GEORGE CLOONEY

What did you originally want to do with your life?

I tried all kinds of different jobs. I sold clothes. I worked in insurance. I painted houses. I sold vacuum cleaners. I was a waitress. Obviously none of those jobs worked out, but that's okay because all of those experiences led me to the place I am today: a successful talk show host with a well-dressed, fully insured wife.

—ELLEN DEGENERES

WHAT'S THE RISKIEST THING YOU'VE EVER DONE?

Wearing some of those outfits I wore when I was 17 or 18. Those were explosions of wrong!

—JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

Who's been a role model for you?

There's a lot of people I admire— like Sean Penn. He's been a friend for a long time. And Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon. They've evolved through the Hollywood system, and they're creative people.

—JULIA ROBERTS

WHAT PERSON HAS BEEN THE MOST INFLUENTIAL IN YOUR LIFE?

Marcheline was the most influential person in my life, because she was the most amazing mother and friend.

—ANGELINA JOLIE

What's the worst thing you've ever read about yourself?

There was this thing on the Internet saying I had died. I immediately called my parents and brother, because it would be terrifying to even see the words.

—MATT DAMON

WHAT WAS THE PROUDEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE?

The day I opened the school for those girls. And the next proudest day, coming up, will be the day they graduate.

—OPRAH

What's been the most shocking thing about fame?

Meeting people like the U.N. Secretary-General and Tony Blair—you have moments where you're like, "Don't they know I'm just this bum actor from the Northern suburbs of Sydney?"

—HUGH JACKMAN

• Contributors:
• CONTRIBUTORS Elaine Aradillas,
• Lorenzo Benet,
• Brian Braiker,
• Paul Chi,
• Champ Clark,
• Antoinette Y. Coulton,
• Mark Dagostino,
• Shruti Dhalwala,
• Mary Green,
• Wendy Grossman,
• Liza Hamm,
• Jessica Herndon,
• Julie Jordan,
• Amy Elisa Keith,
• Kristen Mascia,
• Farah Menass.