It's mind-boggling that you say you're not comaring Clooney to Oswald, the killer of JFK, then immediately compare him to ANOTHER killer. All this even though Clooney apologized for his remarks right after he made them, including directly to Heston himself.

Jane Fonda said that yes, her last name opened doors for her--but she KEPT them open with her own abilities. Clooney was in LA for years before he really caught on as an actor/star, on the second E.R. (He also appeared in an earlier, unconnected, series of the same name.) And he's the first to tell you that he was pretty bad for some years.