George Clooney Explains Why His Proposal To Amal Was A ‘Disaster’

George Clooney in rom-com Ticket to Paradise.
(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

George Clooney and his lawyer wife Amal are considered one of Hollywood’s hottest couples. Being a husband and father of two is a stark contrast from his most publicized bachelorhood in the 1990s and 2000s. Of course, the human rights lawyer was the person who changed all that. The couple got engaged in 2013 only after months of dating. While fans might think Clooney’s proposal would be something out of a Hollywood movie, it was quite the opposite. The Ticket to Paradise star explained why he called his proposal to his lawyer wife a disaster.

The two-time Oscar winner has been enamored by his wife since he first met her. Clooney initially sang her praises on The Drew Barrymore Show as he recalled the couple still writing love letters to each other. The conversation soon shifted to the night the Michael Clayton star asked his then-girlfriend to be his wife. Despite his suave leading man persona, popping the question didn’t go as planned as he explained all the preparations that went into the occasion.

It was a disaster. I planned it out, I’m not stupid. I planned the whole thing out. I’ve got a playlist with my Aunt Rosemary singing, and I’m going to get down and I’m going to give her the ring right at the song ‘Why shouldn’t I?’ It’s a great song. So, I’ve got it all planned out.

There was so much forethought that went into making his proposal as Hollywood-esque as possible. Clooney wanted everything to go smoothly. The filmmaker-actor broke down how he set up the whole moment for his now-wife as they enjoyed dinner.

I’ve got the ring in a little drawer behind her, made dinner. And we’d only been dating for around 6 months. I’ve got the ring in the box, and the song starts. We’d been having dinner and the song starts and I go ‘I think there’s a lighter so we can re-light the candle (which I blew out). Re-light the candle, I think there’s a lighter in that little box.

Placing the ring in the same drawer as the lighter was an ace move, even though, it comes off as Proposal 101. Sending his wife to discover the ring was the cherry on top of this life-changing event. The set-up alone was meant to make the reveal a romantic comedy scene but in real life.

Like most proposals, Clooney had a whole vision of how his paramour would act upon seeing the box. Unfortunately, that’s not what happened when the international law barrister saw the small box in the drawer. The movie star was crushed as he recounted her less-than-enthusiastic response at the moment.

And she kind of pulls the thing out, this little drawer, and there’s a diamond ring in there. And she looks at it and goes ‘There’s a ring in there.’ Like somebody left a ring there years ago. And I’m like on my knee like [guestured at himself].

Her calm reaction to the ring was quite the opposite of the layer’s reaction to her husband kissing co-star Julia Roberts multiple times. But Clooney wasn’t done talking about his less-than-stellar marriage proposal. In the clip below, he opened up about his wife’s reaction almost costing him his knee. The Oscar winner even spilled about how they first met.

Viewers finally got an insight into how Amal Clooney made George Clooney turn in his player card. Things have worked out for the Hollywood couple as they’ve been married for eight years with five-year-old twins. Of course, being a husband and father has humbled the Tender Bar director as his kid roasted him for doing Batman Forever. But he does seem happier in his married life compared to his headline-making bachelor past. That sentiment was echoed by his wife when she talked about what it is like being married to the Hollywood A-lister.

While some fans might find playing a romantic comedy lead would be some refuge, that doesn’t seem to be the case for George Clooney in the box office hit Ticket to Paradise. Playing such a tragic character was firmly pointed out in a review by CinemaBlend’s own Eric Eisenberg. The rom-com is currently in movie theaters. After watching the film, check out what upcoming movies are hitting cinemas for the rest of 2022.

Adreon Patterson
News Writer

A boy from Greenwood, South Carolina. CinemaBlend Contributor. An animation enthusiast (anime, US and international films, television). Freelance writer, designer and artist. Lover of music (US and international).