George Clooney Says Receiving Awards Feels 'a Little Bit Embarrassing, If You Want to Know the Truth' (Exclusive)

Tommy McArdleWed, April 29, 2026 at 5:36 PM UTC

0

George Clooney on April 27, 2026Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty -

George Clooney tells PEOPLE how he really feels about being awarded

Clooney and his wife Amal stepped out in New York City on April 27, where the Jay Kelly star was celebrated at the 51st Chaplin Award gala

Clooney, who turns 65 on May 6, is currently working on a fourth movie in the Ocean's franchise

George Clooney is opening up about what it feels like to be so lauded.

PEOPLE spoke with the Oscar winner on Monday, April 27 at the 51st Chaplin Award gala, where he was being honored. Asked how he prepares for an event where he's the center of attention, Clooney, 64, jokes, "You drink, I think."

"It's awkward — a little bit embarrassing, if you want to know the truth. But it's fun," he adds.

Clooney and his wife Amal Clooney stepped out together at the annual event in New York City, which serves as Film at Lincoln Center's largest yearly fundraiser and "recognizes an individual's significant contributions to the art of cinema." The award is named after Charlie Chaplin, who was the organization's inaugural honoree back in 1972.

Asked whether Amal, 48, ever gives him pointers before he hits the red carpet, George adds, "No, she does not give me pointers on this, but in general, I defer to her for almost any smart answers."

George and Amal posed together on the red carpet before the gala, where the actor was celebrated by friends and collaborators Stephen Colbert, Julianna Margulies, John Turturro and Sam Rockwell.

Advertisement

Amal Clooney and George Clooney on April 27, 2026Credit: Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images

Margulies, 59, and Turturro, 69, both spoke highly of the actor's friendship — and joked about his reputation as a prankster — while chatting with PEOPLE on the red carpet before the event.

"Oh my God, I have so many," Margulies says of Clooney's pranks, when asked if she has any prank-related stories she can share. "But he never did them to me, because I never did them to him because I knew better. You don't mess with the best, and I'm not good at it anyway. I did tremble in fear that it would happen to me one day, so I tread very lightly and never rock the boat. But I've seen some ... too many to tell you."

Margulies and Clooney famously costarred on the medical drama ER in the 1990s, while Turturro worked with the actor on the 2000 movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?.

"He likes going back and forth," Turturro says of Clooney's pranks.

— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

George Clooney on April 27, 2026Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Clooney, who turns 65 on May 6, most recently appeared in a movie in 2025's Jay Kelly. In recent months, Clooney has said that he is working on Ocean's 14, a sequel to his three heist movies with Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Julia Roberts. Variety reported in December 2025 that the production intends to begin filming in October.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”