Meetings that made entertainment history: When George Clooney met Amal
The award-winning actor George Clooney has been a heartthrob for thousands of female fans since he played dashing Dr Doug Ross in the American medical drama ER, between 1994 and 1999.
He received two Emmy Award nominations and was increasingly noticed by the leading directors in the movie industry.
This led to his breakthrough movie role in the cult horror film, From Dusk Till Dawn, in 1996, when he played fugitive robber Seth Gecko, who hides out at a remote desert hotel, only to find it’s staffed by vampires, who are keen to bite the guests and drink their blood!
Clooney, who was 34 at the time of his debut movie, has gone on to star in a host of blockbuster films, including the heist comedy Oceans Eleven in 2001, the thriller Syriana in 2005, legal drama Michael Clayton in 2007 and the comedy Up in the Air in 2009.
With three best actor nominations, he has also become a renowned director and producer who won the Academy Award for best picture with the political thriller, Argo, which he produced in 2013. Clooney has received a record six nominations in six different categories at the Academy Awards.
Now aged 57, the Kentucky-born star has been involved in acting for 40 years, since making his screen debut in the TV drama series, Centennial, back in 1978, when he was only 17.
First meeting
News of Clooney’s wedding in September 2014 to Beirut-born human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, 41, broke the hearts of many female fans. The star had been single since his divorce in 1993 from his first wife, actress Talia Balsam.
Until recently, the couple had remained tight-lipped about their romance and few people knew how they met, but George has now described, in an interview, the closely guarded secrets of their courtship.
When George Clooney met Amal, the actor was smitten from the outset – although his future wife didn’t seem to share his feelings at first. They met by chance at the Italian resort of Lake Como, where Clooney owns a home. He admitted he chased Amal for some time before their romance blossomed.
He described her as “a friend of a friend who came to visit”. After meeting Amal, he said he “pursued her” for several months, including writing and calling her, before she would agree to see him.
Romantic proposal
George proposed in the most romantic fashion over dinner, presenting her with a mysterious box. Amal reached out and pulled open the box, immediately seeing the ring inside. He then got down on one knee in traditional fashion and told her he couldn’t imagine spending the rest of his life without her.
Amal said yes and the celebrity A-list couple married in Venice in 2014.
They were drawn together by their mutual love of philanthropic efforts and have donated money towards helping to educate Syrian refugees in Lebanon. They have also made large donations to help fight hate groups in the United States.
George was named as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine for three consecutive years from 2007 and 2009. In recent years, he has appeared in numerous entertaining commercials for the likes of Nespresso, Fiat and Martini, with many of them resembling a mini-movie script.
Amal has been involved in a number of high profile human rights cases. In 2013, she was appointed as an adviser to the United Nations’ Special Envoy, Kofi Annan, during negotiations on Syria.
In June 2017, the Clooneys had their first children, twins Alexander and Ella. Although the couple keeps their private life under wraps, George has described having children as being “really fun”.
Not all meetings will change your life – but when you have a great meeting room, you at least have the basis to forge important relationships.
&Meetings has a great range of options and we offer the most competitive rates around.
We’re happy to help you with your meeting room requirements in London. Give us a call on 0800 073 0499 and we’ll assist you through the complete booking process.
© Glyn Lowe PhotoWorks / CC BY 2.0
