He played the leading actor in the classic drama Adela by Mircea Veroiu (Casa de filme 4), awarded Best Film at San Remo Festival in 1986. He received an Excellency Award from the Romanian Film Centre in 2002 and a Lifetime Achievement Award at Transilvania Film Festival in 2011. He was also awarded with the presidential distinction Cultural Order of Merit with the rank of Knight.

George Motoi was also one of Malvina Urşianu's favourite actors, playing leading characters in four of her movies: Evening/Serata (Studioul Cinematografic Bucuresti, 1971), Fleeting Loves/Trecătoarele iubiri (Casa de filme 3, 1974), The Return of King Lăpuşneanu/Întoarcerea lui Vodă-Lăpuşneanu (Casa de filme 3, 1979) and The Silence of the Deep/ Liniştea din adâncuri (Studioul Cinematografic Bucuresti,1982).

He was also a respected stage actor at the National Theatre in Bucharest, National Theatre in Cluj-Napoca, Piatra Neamţ Theatre and Maria Filotti Theatre in Brăila where he also directed.