6 days ago
9
George Clooney and Amal Clooney attended the 51st Chaplin Award Gala on Monday night, where the actor defended Jimmy Kimmel against President Donald Trump.
The 64-year-old leading man was accompanied by his 48-year-old human rights activist wife, who turned heads in a short fuchsia dress, as he was honored for his work in cinema.
Clooney touched on politics while taking the stage, coming to late night host Kimmel's defense amid Trump's latest call for ABC to fire him after a joke he made about wife Melania 'having the glow of an expectant widow.'
Kimmel made the wisecrack two days before Saturday night's White House Correspondents Dinner was targeted by a shooter.
Similarly, ahead of the dinner, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt remarked that 'there will be some shots fired tonight in the room' during Trump's imminent speech that evening.
Clooney hit back on Monday, per an account from Variety: 'Jimmy’s a comedian, and I would argue that Karoline Leavitt didn’t mean shots should be fired. She was making a joke. Fair enough. You look at that side and go, "Well, jokes are jokes." But the rhetoric is a little dangerous. And we’ve seen it a lot lately.'
Clooney looked handsome in a black tuxedo with a white shirt and black bowtie
The 64-year-old leading man and 48-year-old human rights activist cozied up on the red carpet as they posed for photos
George Clooney and wife Amal Clooney attended the 51st Chaplin Award Gala on Monday night, where the actor was honored for his work in cinema
Elsewhere in his speech, the legendary actor stated, 'When one side is calling anyone they disagree with traitors to the country – which is a charge that’s punishable by death – just because they don’t agree with someone, I think the rhetoric is a little too heated.'
He argued that the over-the-top rhetoric 'can be toned down.'
The silver screen star also referenced his 92-year-old father Nick Clooney, who was a journalist.
'My father’s rule when we were growing up was to challenge people with more power,' he recalled.
'That’s always been our mantra. That’s what my sister and I believed, and what my mother and father believed in. It’s served us well. It’s gotten us in trouble, and that’s a good thing.'
The father of two went on to advocate for a free and fair press.
He told the audience, 'I always have faith in the press. I always believe in it. I’m the son of a journalist, you know?'
Clooney emphasized, 'I also think that you’re not supposed to have a good relationship with government. You’re supposed to be questioning them. The people that I support, the Democrats – so, I’m a Democrat. I make no apologies for it.'
He continued, 'The people that I support – Bill Clinton, Barack Obama – they didn’t enjoy getting chased down by reporters. People in power don’t like to have to answer all the questions in the world. That’s fair. They shouldn’t enjoy it. And the reporters should make sure that they hold people’s feet to the fire. That’s the rules. That’s what Jefferson talked about in 1787. We need to be able to have a free and fair press.'
Amal was typically stunning as she modeled a chic, fuchsia, off-the-shoulder dress with an asymmetric hemline
The mother of two showed off her long legs in the fashion-forward ensemble
Her outfit was punctuated with a pair of pointed-toe metallic gold heels
Clooney looked handsome in a black tuxedo with a white shirt and black bowtie. Meanwhile, Amal was typically stunning as she modeled a chic, fuchsia, off-the-shoulder dress with an asymmetric hemline.
The mother of two, who shares eight-year-old fraternal twins Alexander and Ella with her husband, showed off her long legs in the fashion-forward ensemble.
Her outfit was punctuated with a pair of pointed-toe metallic gold heels.
The British-Lebanese beauty looked radiant as she coordinated her footwear with a matching clutch and dangling gold earrings.
Her long, brunette locks were styled in a sweeping updo with loose, face-framing pieces left out at the front.
Clooney's greying hair was cut short and the Hollywood vet was clean-shaven for his special night.
Stephen Colbert was a gala presenter, 11 years after Clooney was his first guest on the Late Show
Julianna Margulies, who starred with Clooney on the drama series ER early in his career, also presented
Clooney's O Brother, Where Art Thou co-star John Turturro also took the stage
Clooney touched on politics during his speech at the gala
L-R Grant Heslov, Colbert, and Clooney backstage
The filmmaker held his wife's hand after receiving his honor
The star-packed annual fundraiser was hosted at Film at Lincoln Center.
Past recipients of the award include Pedro Almodóvar, Viola Davis, Cate Blanchett, Spike Lee, Meryl Streep, Martin Scorsese, Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman, Sidney Poitier, Alfred Hitchcock, and Billy Wilder.
Monday's event was attended by famous faces including John Turturro, Julianna Margulies, and Richard Kind.
Stephen Colbert was a gala presenter, 11 years after Clooney was his first guest on the Late Show.
Margulies, who starred with Clooney on the drama series ER early in his career, also presented.
English (US) ·