For a long time, George Clooney was basically Hollywood's most notorious bachelor. Every woman was obsessed with him thanks to the fact that he was charming, intelligent, and pretty much just got better with age. However, though he could have had a relationship with just about any actress in the industry, he never had more than casual relationships because it just wasn't his style. However, that all changed when he met someone who had nothing to do with the entertainment industry at all — human rights lawyer, Amal Alamuddin.
Now, there are plenty of celebrities who have married regular people outside the industry, but something about the fact that George Clooney finally found the woman he wanted to commit to made the entire world fascinated by Amal. And, once you learn more about her, you become even more interested in who she is because, well, she's totally amazing!
While she's married to Clooney now, and even took his name, she's definitely not content to just be a Hollywood wife. While George works on his movies and other projects in the entertainment industry, she's busy continuing on her path as a high powered lawyer — and we love her for it.
Here are 20 things you may not have known about the amazing Amal Clooney.
20 She's There For Her Man No Matter What, And Refused To Leave His Side After His Motorcycle Accident
Amal definitely didn't just get together with Clooney because she was looking for fame or fortune — she fell in love with the man, not all the things that surrounded him.
So, it comes as no surprise that when he was involved in an accident in Italy, she basically dropped everything and immediately rushed to her hubby's side.
A source spilled the touching details to People, saying that "Amal wouldn't leave his side," even when he was released from the hospital. That's a woman who's crazy in love with her man! We have a feeling she'll stick with him through thick or thin, no matter what life throws their way.
19 She Spent Some Time Teaching A Human Rights Class At Columbia In 2015
The Clooneys' primary residence is in England, but Amal is licensed to work in the United States as well. And, while they may spend some time in sunny California because of George's work, Amal's work took her to New York City for a few months in the summer of 2015.
She spent some time at the prestigious Columbia Law teaching eager young legal minds a class on international human rights — so, basically, Amal's specialty. We have no doubt that all the other professors there are talented, but can you just imagine having a class with Amal? Talk about an amazing opportunity!
18 She And George Purposefully Chose Ordinary Names For Their Children, Not Hollywood Names
Everyone is always eager to find out what celebrities will name their children because it seems as though every celebrity is trying to get as weird as they possibly can with their child's name. Forget the ordinary offerings found in baby books — they scour cultures and their minds to try to find a name that really stands out from the crowd.
But George and Amal took a different approach when it came to baby naming.
As Mindfood reports, George commented that "we didn't want to give them one of those ridiculous Hollywood names that don't mean anything." They opted for Ella and Alexander when their twins were born — simple, classic, and chic.
17 She Refuses To Be Put In A Box
One of the things we love most about Amal Clooney is that she's not willing to be put into any kind of box. She has a serious career and is amazing at it, yet she's always happy to be by her husband's side supporting his career at the various industry events he has to attend. She can speak eloquently and intelligently about a ton of really complex issues, yet she also loves fashion.
Overall, she's a well-rounded, amazing woman. She spoke about her thoughts on the typical stereotypes with Vogue, saying that "I hate the idea that you somehow, as a human being, have to be put in a box. There's no reason why lawyers can't be fun — or actresses can't be serious."
16 She And George Tried To Go On A Cleanse — But Only Lasted Eleven Days
Amal and George Clooney both look amazing all the time, so you might think that they were huge fans of cleanses and similar practices to keep themselves glowing. However, it seems that isn't the case.
As Amal told Vogue during an interview, she and George actually embarked on a cleanse a few years ago and found themselves quitting after day eleven.
"It was hard to give up the glass of wine in the evening, but even harder to give up the espresso first thing in the morning," she said. Well, given that they both have super busy careers, we can only imagine!
15 Her Home Is Filled With Animal Art
We have to admit we're super curious about what Amal and George's home must look like. And while we don't get the full inside peek, a few details were revealed in her Vogue profile that have us envisioning her quirky space.
In addition to wedding photos and vintage Penguin paperbacks, the writer shared that there was a ton of animal artwork in the Clooney home, from a portrait of George's late spaniel Einstein to the painting of a giraffe, an animal that Amal has a particular fondness for. We have to admit, we would have pegged them for more traditional art types — but we love the quirky collection they have!
14 Her Name Is Arabic For 'Hope'
Thanks to her prowess in the courtroom and keen legal mind, Amal Clooney has probably given hope to a lot of her clients over the years. And, it turns out, it's fitting, given the meaning of her name.
The name "Amal" is actually Arabic for "hope" and her parents apparently chose it because she was born during a lull in the civil war in Lebanon.
She was her parents' little beam of hope in a stressful time — and now, she's delivering that hope to all her clients. Not everyone puts a lot of value in the meaning of names, but we kind of love this one.
13 She Knows How To Work Hard And Play Hard
Given how accomplished she is in her career and how impossibly poised and elegant she seems at all times, you'd expect Amal to be the type to avoid parties and anything like that. However, it turns out, that couldn't be further from the truth. As her mother said, "all my family, we are party animals... Amal partied hard and worked hard."
Well, perhaps attending all those glitzy entertainment industry bashes alongside her hubby isn't that boring for Amal! It's a great opportunity to get all dressed up and enjoy a bit of that partying that she apparently loves from time to time!
12 She Once Lived In A Secure Compound In The Hague
Amal has certainly had an interesting life thanks to all the clients she's worked with over the years.
Back when she was in her 20s, she heard about an investigation in Beirut led by the U.N. that caught her interest.
As she told Vogue, "I thought, OK, I'll just go work there for a couple of months while my visa comes through... I was in my late 20s, and I was literally living on top of a mountain, in a secured compound, with four checkpoints between me and the outside world." Crazy! In comparison to that, any kind of security nowadays must seem minimal!
11 She's A Huge Supporter Of Women And Female Empowerment
This likely comes as no surprise to anyone, but Amal is a huge supporter of women achieving their dreams. In a speech she gave a while back, she commented that "as women, we may not be a minority, but there is a bond that we all share. It is not a bond of geography, or religion, or culture. It is a bond of shared experience — experiences that only women go through, and struggles that only women face."
Talk about inspiring! Even just seeing all that she's accomplished in her career is enough to inspire just about any woman in the world.
10 She Met George Through A Mutual Friend At Lake Como
One of the things that everyone wanted to know once the news broke that George and Amal were dating was how they met.
It turns out, that house on Lake Como may just have been the best investment George Clooney ever made because it helped him meet his wife.
Amal accompanied one of her friends to go spend some time at the celebrity's vacation home, where George's parents were also staying at the time (it isn't exactly a tiny cottage!). They ended up talking, really forging a strong bond, and the sparks were undeniable between the future Mr. and Mrs. Clooney.
9 She Added A Ton Of Trees To Her English Country Estate For Privacy
Even though they've decided to make their primary residence in the English countryside rather than glitzy Hollywood, the Clooneys still want as much privacy as possible. The somewhat remote location of their home certainly helps, but it turns out they also planted a ton of trees around the property to help obscure sight lines from all the paths and walking trails in the countryside around it.
It's not likely that paparazzi or superfans would camp out, but who knows — it's better to be safe and secure than sorry. Plus, who doesn't want a few extra trees on their property?
8 She Speaks Three Languages
George may have to memorize lines for his movies, but when it comes to languages, Amal just might have the upper hand.
The intelligent legal superstar actually speaks three languages fluently — English, French, and Arabic.
She'll have to be the one to introduce some of those languages to Ella and Alexander as they grow a little bit older. And, we have no doubt that she'd easily be able to learn a fourth language if she decided to teach her children one of the languages she didn't already know. She seems like the type of person who could achieve anything if she put her mind to it.
7 She's Had Some Major Names As Clients
Many people are fascinated by Amal's relationship with A-List celebrity George Clooney or even her wardrobe, but let's get serious for a moment — she would never be able to get the clients she does if she wasn't absolutely incredible at her job.
She's the one that many big-name clients go to when they need representation, including Julian Assange, Kofi Annan, and Yulia Tymoshenko. She gets all the star clients she does because she's amazing at what she does, and they trust wholly in her ability to help them get the result they want, whatever that may be. Talk about an inspiration!
6 She's Passionate About Pro Bono Work
It's no secret that lawyers at big-name firms can make some serious dough, and Amal was definitely one of those — after graduating and getting some experience, she went on to work at a super high profile firm.
However, there was something about pro bono work that really resonated with Amal.
She ended up accepting a salary of just $20,000 back in 2004 to work at the UN's International Court of Justice for a period. She seems to balance high profile cases with pro bono cases with grace and skill, which is something many lawyers struggle with. Yet another reason to be amazed by her!
5 She Has Three Siblings Of Her Own — So Perhaps Ella And Alexander Will Get Siblings One Day
Amal is now a mom of two, but family gatherings may be larger than just the Clooney family of four — it turns out that Amal actually has three siblings in total. She has one sister, Tala, and two half-brothers, Samer and Ziad, who were from her father's first marriage.
Amal is fairly private about her family life, so we don't quite know what the holiday traditions are behind the scenes, but we love the idea of the whole Clooney-Alamuddin family coming together for holidays, or even just to celebrate things like birthdays and special occasions. I mean, why not make time for family?
4 She Welcomed Activist Nadia Murad Into Her Home While She Was Working On Her Case
Amal isn't the kind of lawyer who just leaves her cases at the office and forgets all about them when she comes home — she's totally dedicated to her job and even invites clients into her own home.
At the time of her interview with Vogue, Amal had actually welcomed her client, activist Nadia Murad, to spend time at her home.
Murad shared her thoughts on her lawyer with Vogue through a translator, commenting that "not many people stepped up to help as she did. I was surprised that someone like her — a successful lawyer with a strong record — would help us."
3 She Used To Raid Her Mother's Closet When She Was Younger
Many people wonder where Amal got her amazing sense of style, and it seems that some of it may have been inherited from her mother. As her mother confessed in an interview, Amal would totally raid her closet when she was younger — "she would come and grab a series of shoes and bags and whatever. I'd say 'what are you doing?' She'd give me this legal argument that went on and on."
Using your strong legal skills to convince your mother why you need to borrow her fabulous accessories? Sounds like a superstar lawyer (and fashionista) in the making to us!
2 She's Passionate About Fashion
Amal takes her job seriously, but that doesn't mean she sticks to a wardrobe of drab neutrals and uninspiring pieces. She's always loved to play with fashion, crafting looks that are professional and elegant but also somewhat fun and playful.
She's not afraid of incorporating prints, she's not afraid of bold colors, and she's definitely not afraid to make a statement with style, which we totally love.
In fact, her love of fashion is so well-known that she ended up actually co-chairing last year's Met Gala. I mean, is there anything this woman can't do? Fashion, philanthropy, human rights law... she's totally amazing.
1 She Majorly Amped Up Her Exercise Routine To Get Back Into Shape After Having The Twins
Many people were shocked at how quickly Amal bounced back into her pre-baby shape after her twins were born. And, it certainly wasn't easy. Vogue talked about her exercise routine as a new mom, saying that she walked for about an hour a day and also incorporated 20-minute weightlifting sessions and 30-minute Pilates sessions into her routine.
Add to that the fact that she stuck with a Mediterranean diet packed with fish and healthy dishes like seaweed soup, and it's no surprise that she managed to get back into shape so quickly! There's certainly no denying that she looks absolutely amazing.
References: vogue.com, people.com, mindfood.com, popsugar.com
About The Author
