George Clooney speaks French while presenting at 2026 Golden Globes

According to People, George Clooney spoke French onstage at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 11 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles while presenting an award with Don Cheadle.

The actor-filmmaker, 64, opened his presentation with “Bonsoir, mes amis,” and “C'est un honneur d’être ici.” Clooney — who, along with his wife Amal and their children, was recently granted French citizenship according to a naturalization decree published in the Journal officiel — was joined by Cheadle, who also said “bonsoir” and teased Clooney about losing to Timothée Chalamet. The pair presented the Globe for Best Motion Picture – Drama, which was won by Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet.

The citizenship news has drawn varied reactions: President Donald Trump wrote on Dec. 31 that the Clooneys “have officially become citizens of France,” and Clooney responded in a Jan. 2 statement. The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs said it was “delighted” to welcome them, and the family have lived in France since buying an estate there in 2021; Clooney has described living on a farm and family life in France in an October interview with Esquire.

Key Topics

Culture, George Clooney, Amal Clooney, Don Cheadle, Golden Globes, French Citizenship