Stephanopoulos, George (1961–)

George Stephanopoulos is best known as a broadcaster in the United States and as a political advisor to former President Bill Clinton from 1992 to 1996. He is currently chief Washington correspondent for ABC News and anchor of ABC's This Week.

As a former senior political advisor to Bill Clinton, Stephanopoulos directed communications and advised on policy and strategy in an administration rocked with scandal. In his 1999 book, he documents the pressures he endured in attempting to get out the White House message. He worked on both of Clinton's successful presidential bids (1992 and 1996), served in the first administration, but resigned after the second campaign.

George Robert Stephanopoulos was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, to a family of Greek heritage. Both his father and grandfather were Greek Orthodox priests. His mother was a former public relations student at the University of Minnesota. He was raised largely in Cleveland, Ohio. As a child and young adult, he considered careers in both law and the priesthood. He credits his experiences as an altar boy in his father's church for preparing him to be an operative behind the scenes.

He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1982 from Columbia University, and graduated summa cum laude in political science. At Columbia, he was a Truman Scholar, valedictorian of his class, and later the commencement speaker in 2003. He obtained his master's degree in theology at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He later served as executive floor manager to House Majority Leader Richard A. Gephardt.

He rose to prominence on the United States political scene as a result of his connection with former President Bill Clinton. In the Clinton White House, he served first as de facto press secretary for Dee Dee Myers and then as senior advisor for policy and strategy. He worked closely with other Clinton strategists David Wilhelm and James Carville. He left the Clintons after the 1996 campaign to teach briefly at Columbia University.

He joined ABC in 1997 as a political news analyst and correspondent. In September 2002, he became host and anchor of This Week and, in December, was officially named chief Washington correspondent of ABC. His memoir, All Too Human, was published in 1999, for which he received a $2.75 million advance. It became a New York Times best-seller and relates his experiences with the Clintons. The book highlights his physical and mental ailments as a result of job pressures. It is also a critique of both the President and First Lady. The publication raised criticism because it was released while President Clinton was still in office.

Stephanopoulos was the inspiration behind television characters in The American President and The West Wing. His role in the Clinton campaign is also featured in the documentary film The War Room. Stephanopoulos is married to actress Alexandra Wentworth and they have two daughters.