George Clooney Speaks French at 2026 Golden Globes

George Clooney is testing out the language of his new country while onstage at the Golden Globe Awards. 

At the starry 83rd annual ceremony on Jan. 11 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, Clooney, 64, spoke French onstage before presenting an award. The actor-filmmaker, his wife Amal and their kids Alexander and Ella were recently granted citizenship in France, per a naturalization decree obtained by the French newspaper Journal officiel and viewed by PEOPLE.

“Bonsoir, mes amis,” began the Jay Kelly Golden Globe nominee, wishing his friends in the crowd a good evening. “C’est un honneur d’être ici,” he added (“it’s an honor to be here”).

Joining him in the fun, Don Cheadle emerged for an Ocean’s Eleven reunion, throwing in some French as well by wishing Clooney a good evening with a “bonsoir.” Cheadle, 61, teased his costar in the heist franchise for losing in the Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy category to Marty Supreme star Timothée Chalamet. “We’re all winners here,” said Clooney in protest. 

“Not really — you aren’t,” quipped Cheadle. 

The two old costars then presented the Globe for Best Motion Picture – Drama, which was won by Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet.

The news of Clooney’s French citizenship drew varied reactions, including from President Donald Trump on Dec. 31. “Good News! George and Amal Clooney, two of the worst political prognosticators of all time, have officially become citizens of France which is, sadly, in the midst of a major crime problem because of their absolutely horrendous handling of immigration, much like we had under Sleepy Joe Biden,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

(The Ticket to Paradise actor then responded in a Jan. 2 statement: “I totally agree with the current president. We have to make America great again. We’ll start in November,” referring to the upcoming midterm elections.)

The French government also weighed in following the citizenship news. “We are delighted, like many French people, to welcome George and Amal Clooney into the national community,” said the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs in a statement on Dec. 31.

The Clooney clan has lived in France since purchasing an estate there in 2021. “We live on a farm in France,” the Oscar winner said in an October interview with Esquire about family life in Europe. “A good portion of my life growing up was on a farm, and as a kid, I hated the whole idea of it,” said George. But for his 8-year-old kids, “they’re not on their iPads, you know? They have dinner with grown-ups and have to take their dishes in. They have a much better life.”

PEOPLE