George Clooney Turns 63: Inside His 9-Year Marriage to Amal

ET is looking back at the couple's beautiful Hollywood love story.

George and Amal Clooney are one of the most iconic couples in Hollywood, sharing a beautiful marriage, two adorable twins, and a four-legged friend while still making time for date nights at black-tie events.

The pair's relationship grabbed headlines when it started heating up, and the once-perpetual bachelor shocked fans when he popped the question back in 2014.

Now, nearly a decade later, the pair are still going strong as the parents of 6-year-old twins, Ella and Alexander, while the movie star and the human rights attorney have really embraced the parent life.

In celebration of their relationship and George's 63rd birthday on May 6, ET is taking a look back at how it all began, and how it unfolded into the adorable love story we know today.

September 2013

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George and Amal first met through a mutual friend. The actor later detailed their first meeting while speaking with David Letterman for an episode of his Netflix series, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, and said his first meeting with Amal was actually at his house.

"No, it’s the wildest thing," Clooney recalled. "A mutual friend of ours said, 'I’m stopping by and can I bring my friend?' And I was like, 'Of course.' I got a call from my agent who called me and said, 'I met this woman who’s coming to your house who you’re gonna marry.'"

"And the funniest thing was my mom and dad were visiting, so my parents were there, and we just talked and we stayed up all night talking," he shared. "And then, you know, I got her email address 'cause she was going to send me some pictures of my parents and then, we started writing and I didn't really, I didn't know if she wanted to go out with me. I just thought, you know, we were buddies."

Oct. 24, 2013

George and Amal were first seen together publicly. They had dinner together in London, however Clooney's rep denied that they were dating.

Mar. 13, 2014

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After several public appearances together, George and Amal took a romantic trip to the Seychelles, a gorgeous tropical island nation off the coast of Southeast Africa. Soon after that lovey jaunt, the couple flew to Tanzania for a fun wildlife watching safari trip.

Apr. 22, 2014

After several months of dating, George popped the question! According to reports, George made Amal a home-cooked meal and asked her for her hand in marriage during a small, intimate meal at his house.

George later revealed that the proposal was a complete surprise. The actor said, during an interview with CBS News, "When I asked her, we had never talked about it, so it was all -- there wasn't like a, 'Maybe we should get married.' Literally, I dropped it on her."

May 1, 2014

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Amal was seen sporting the insanely expensive engagement ring around town. The ring -- a 7-carat, emerald cut diamond set in a platinum band -- was reported to have cost over $750,000.

Aug. 6, 2014

George and Amal took the first legal steps required before the two would be allowed to tie the knot when they paid a visit to the Chelsea Register Office in London, where they signed the legal notice of their intent to marry. It was posted outside Chelsea Town Hall (a requirement for U.K. citizens).

Sept. 9, 2014

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George and Amal finally made their stunning red carpet debut at the Celebrity Fight Night charity event in Tuscany. Dressed to the nines, George repeatedly professed his love for Amal, and at one point he even took to the stage and toasted, "I met my lovely bride-to-be here in Italy, whom I will be marrying, in a couple of weeks, in Venice, of all places… I would just like to say to my bride-to-be, Amal, that I love you very much and I can't wait to be your husband."

Sept. 27, 2014

On a lovely day in Venice, Italy, George and Amal tied the knot in a star-studded wedding ceremony surrounded by family and friends. The wedding, held at the hotel Aman Canal Grande, was officiated by former mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni. 

Celebrity guests included U2 musician Bono, Clooney's Monuments Men and Ocean's 11 co-star Matt Damon, supermodel Cindy Crawford (who's husband Rande Gerber acted as Best Man), The Office star John Krasinski and Emily Blunt ...just to name a few.

February 2017 

In a surprise twist, it was Julie Chen who broke the news that George and Amal were expecting, and were gearing up to welcome twins, during an episode of The Talk. "Beyoncé is not the only superstar expecting twins. Congratulations are in order for George and Amal Clooney," Chen said. ""The Talk has confirmed that the 55-year-old superstar and his highly accomplished 39-year-old attorney wife are expecting twins... Now, what we did find out that no one else is reporting is that the twins are due this June. The two have been married for just about two and a half years."

Shortly The two-time Oscar winner sat down with French film journalist Laurent Weil on his program Rencontres de Cinema, and addressed his expectations of becoming a dad. "We are really happy and really excited," Clooney said, beaming. "It's going to be an adventure."

June 6, 2017

George and Amal's lives changed forever when they welcomed their adorable twins. "This morning Amal and George welcomed Ella and Alexander Clooney into their lives. Ella, Alexander and Amal are all healthy, happy and doing fine," the couple said in a statement. "George is sedated and should recover in a few days."

August 2017

George opened up about life as a dad while chatting with the Associated Press. The actor admitted, "I really didn't think at 56 that I would be the parent of twins... Don't make plans. You always have to just enjoy the ride."

"Suddenly, you're responsible for other people, which is terrifying," he noted, adding that his wife is a natural when it comes to being a mom. "She's like an Olympic athlete. She's doing so beautifully."

The following month, George spoke with ET, and said of being a dad, "This is an all-new adventure for me, but I've been through it with all my friends, so it's not really that much of a surprise.[Fatherhood] has made me much older. It doesn't fundamentally change you, but I'm excited to see who these two people are going to be in life. I'm very proud to be [a dad]. I feel honored to be a part of it." 

May 19, 2018

George and Amal added their star power to the already celeb-packed royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. A source told ET at the time that George briefly served as a bartender for the couple at the elegant reception, held at Frogmore House in Windsor, England.

"George hopped behind the bar and was actually bartending for a bit," the source said. "He poured Casamigos drinks and shots and got everyone dancing!"

December 2020

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While stuck in lockdown with the rest of the world, George spoke with ET while promoting his film, The Midnight Sky, and had nothing but praise for his lovely wife. "She is gorgeous and funny and all of the things... She is the smartest person in every room she walks in," he said. "I am always very proud to be standing next to her."

George also reflected on the message of his film, and how it made him think about the world we are leaving behind for future generations, including his own kids.

"When you are having children, it makes you [think] infinitely even more [about] what we are leaving them, what legacy we are leaving them, if we are going to deny science, if we are going to have a world of divisiveness and anger and hatred, not just in this country, but all around the world, and what those elements can lead to if they are allowed to fester," he said. "I certainly am aware of it when I am telling the story... It gets sort of put on steroids when you have kids."

September 2022

After celebrating their 8th anniversary together, the couple sat down for an interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings, and shared the key to their lasting romance.

“It does start with love,” George said during an interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings on Wednesday. “That’s sort of the whole secret to it. It’s just been easy. Like the easiest thing we have done in our lives thus far. We've never had an argument." 

Amal added, "It's madness to some of our friends."

"I think that it's 99 percent luck just to meet the right person," the human rights attorney continued. "And I think the one thing we would take is to not be cynical, just to be open, and I was surprised that you were not cynical or guarded at all and things just moved very quickly."

Dec. 11, 2023

Kayla Oaddams/FilmMagic

George spoke with ET's Nischelle Turner at the Los Angeles premiere of his new film, The Boys in the Boat, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, after he walked the red carpet with Amal -- who stunned in an Atelier Versace yellow gown, Cartier jewels and a big smile. 

"She cleans up," the film's director and producer told ET of his attorney wife. "I'm always embarrassed because I'm wearing something that I've worn, like, 1,000 times."

"My entire career has been reduced to a plus-one now," he quipped. "I did one of those Women in Film things a couple years ago, and I had to introduce myself as 'Amal Clooney's husband' because, honestly, I was dead otherwise."

George also joked about his twins visiting him on the set of The Boys in the Boat, which follows the 1936 Olympic rowing team. "Yeah, the kids came to visit. They think that all I do is play in the water," George says, laughing. "I did a movie a couple years ago called The Midnight Sky, and I had to shoot stuff in a tank and they came to visit and I'm in clothes, but I'm in a tank. So whenever I go to work, they think I'm swimming." 

Feb. 3, 2024

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While in the South of France, George and Amal -- who celebrated her 46th birthday that same day -- were photographed out with a St. Bernard puppy named Nelson, the newest member of their family. Longtime animal lovers, the Oscar winner and his famous other half have a history of adopting dogs. 

For more on this Hollywood pair, check out the links below!

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