George Stephanopoulos Bio
George Robert Stephanopoulos, born on February 10, 1961, is an American television host, political commentator, and journalist. A former Democratic political advisor, he rose to national prominence as communications director for Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign and later served in the Clinton White House. After leaving government, he built a long career at ABC News, where he became a co-anchor of Good Morning America and the host of This Week, as well as ABC’s Chief Washington Correspondent. Stephanopoulos is also a New York Times bestselling author and the husband of actress and comedian Ali Wentworth.
Early Life and Background
George Robert Stephanopoulos was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, to parents of Greek descent. His father, Robert George Stephanopoulos, was a Greek Orthodox priest and dean emeritus of the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York City. His mother, Nickolitsa “Nikki” Gloria Stephanopoulos, née Chafos, served for many years as the director of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America National News Service. He has a sister, Mother Agapia Stephanopoulos.
After spending early years in Purchase, New York, Stephanopoulos moved with his family to the eastern suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. There he attended Orange High School in Pepper Pike, graduating in 1978. He later described his upbringing in a tight-knit Greek Orthodox household as a formative influence on his interest in public life and political values.
Stephanopoulos went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Columbia University in 1982, graduating summa cum laude and serving as salutatorian of his class. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in his junior year and received a Harry S. Truman Scholarship. He then attended Balliol College at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, earning a Master of Arts in theology in 1984.
Path to US Politics
Stephanopoulos began his political career in Washington, D.C., working as an aide to Democratic congressman Ed Feighan of Ohio. In that role he drafted letters, memos, and speeches, eventually rising to chief of staff. The work gave him a hands-on education in legislative politics and connected him with the Democratic Party establishment.
In 1988, he joined the U.S. presidential campaign of Michael Dukakis, drawn in part by the candidate’s profile as a Greek-American liberal from Massachusetts. After the campaign, Stephanopoulos became an executive floor assistant to Dick Gephardt, the U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader, a position he held until joining Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential bid.
On the Clinton campaign, Stephanopoulos served as a communications director, working alongside strategist James Carville and campaign chair David Wilhelm. His work was later featured in the documentary The War Room, which chronicled the 1992 race and helped establish his public profile in Democratic politics.
George Stephanopoulos Career
Early Career (1988-1996)
Following the Dukakis campaign, Stephanopoulos served as an executive floor assistant to House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt. He then joined Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign as a communications director, helping shape messaging that contributed to the Democratic victory that November.
After the election, Stephanopoulos moved into the White House as a senior advisor for policy and strategy, with a focus on crime legislation, affirmative action, and health care. He also served as the de facto press secretary early in the administration, regularly briefing the press even though Dee Dee Myers held the official title. He remained in the West Wing until December 1996, shortly after Clinton’s re-election.
Clinton White House Breakthrough (1992-1996)
During the 1992 campaign, Stephanopoulos was a key architect of Clinton’s communications strategy, working closely with James Carville. The campaign was later documented in the 1993 film The War Room, which showcased Stephanopoulos as part of Clinton’s inner circle.
Inside the administration, he became one of the most visible staffers, briefing reporters and counseling the president on strategy. His work spanned Clinton’s first term and included involvement in the response to several high-profile controversies, including the early Whitewater-related matters and the Paula Jones allegations.
Stephanopoulos left the White House in December 1996 and later published a memoir, All Too Human: A Political Education, in 1999. The book spent five weeks at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list and offered an inside account of the Clinton presidency. President Clinton, in his own autobiography, expressed regret for the heavy pressure he had placed on his young advisor.
ABC News Era (1996-Present)
After leaving government, Stephanopoulos joined ABC News as a political analyst and correspondent, contributing to programs including This Week, World News Tonight, and Good Morning America. In September 2002, he was named host of This Week, and in December 2005, ABC News appointed him Chief Washington Correspondent.
In December 2009, Stephanopoulos was offered Diane Sawyer’s seat on Good Morning America following her move to World News. He accepted and began co-anchoring the program on December 14, 2009, while continuing to host This Week on Sundays. He has since co-moderated major primary and general-election debates, launched the political blog George’s Bottom Line in 2008, and signed a long-term deal with ABC.
From 2014 to 2020, Stephanopoulos additionally served as Chief Anchor of ABC News while retaining his roles on Good Morning America and This Week. He has also led a documentary unit for Disney’s digital platforms and hosts primetime specials on the ABC network each year.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Stephanopoulos’s signature moments, his January 11, 2009, interview with president-elect Barack Obama on This Week helped the program beat Meet the Press in the ratings for the first time. He also co-moderated the final 2008 Democratic primary debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and in 2024 he and ABC News settled a defamation suit brought by Donald Trump related to on-air remarks about the E. Jean Carroll case.
George Stephanopoulos Career Wins
George Robert Stephanopoulos has built a career that bridges Democratic politics and broadcast journalism, with recognition on both sides. He is a New York Times bestselling author and a recipient of multiple journalism honors tied to his work at ABC News.
ABC News and Journalism Highlights
Stephanopoulos has won two News and Documentary Emmy Awards and has been nominated seventeen times across his tenure at ABC News. His coverage of presidential campaigns, Sunday morning interviews, and co-anchoring of Good Morning America have been central to those nominations and wins. In 2007, he received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from St. John’s University in New York City in recognition of his contributions to political journalism.
Other Wins and Achievements
Stephanopoulos is a summa cum laude graduate of Columbia University, a Phi Beta Kappa member, a former Harry S. Truman Scholar, and a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford. He is also co-founder of the production companies BedBy8 and George Stephanopoulos Productions, which have produced documentaries including Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields, Grand Knighthawk: Infiltrating the KKK, and Power Trip: Those Who Seek Power and Those Who Chase Them.
George Stephanopoulos Family
Family Background and Public Service Lineage
George Robert Stephanopoulos comes from a Greek American family with deep ties to the Greek Orthodox Church and public service. His father, Robert George Stephanopoulos, served as a Greek Orthodox priest and dean emeritus of the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York City. His mother, Nickolitsa “Nikki” Gloria Stephanopoulos, led the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America National News Service for many years. His sister, Mother Agapia Stephanopoulos, is a member of the same faith community.
Personal Life
In 2001, Stephanopoulos married actress, comedian, and writer Ali Wentworth at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity on New York’s Upper East Side. The couple has two daughters, one born in 2002 and the other born in 2005. Stephanopoulos is a Greek Orthodox Christian and holds a master’s degree in theology from the University of Oxford.