Julia Roberts and George Clooney's Friendship Timeline

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

George ClooneyandJulia Robertsgo way back.

The longtime friends and frequent costars first worked together in 2000 when they began filmingOcean’s Eleven. What started out as a professional relationship instantaneously blossomed into afriendship that has spanned 22 years.

“The minute we met, we had fun,“Clooney told PEOPLEat the U.S. premiere of their new film,Ticket to Paradise. “The beauty is, when you work with people who take their work seriously and don’t take themselves seriously, and that’s really fun.”

As for Roberts, she seconded that sentiment. “I thought, ‘He’s going to be a pal,'” she recalled of her initial interaction with Clooney.

And she was right! Not only did Roberts and Clooney go on to star alongside each other in multiple films, but they’ve played significant roles in each other’s personal lives as well.

From the moment they first met to their most recent movie together, here’s a look back at Clooney and Roberts’ friendship through the years.

2000: George Clooney and Julia Roberts meet

Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

“We met onOcean’s,” Clooney told PEOPLE in 2015 ofencountering Roberts for the first time. “We had actually never met before. People just thought we had.” Added Roberts, “He and [director] Steven Soderbergh called me into a little meeting, I think to see if they liked me.”

Dec. 7, 2001: George Clooney and Julia Roberts star alongside each other for the first time

Ocean’s Elevenpremiered on Dec. 7, 2001, marking the first film in which Clooney and Roberts starred opposite each other.Brad Pitt,Matt Damon,Don Cheadle,Andy GarcíaandBernie Macwere among the actors who appeared alongside them in the ensemble cast.

Dec. 31, 2002: George Clooney directs Julia Roberts inConfessions of a Dangerous Mind

Clooney helmed the filmConfessions of a Dangerous Mindwhich premiered on Dec. 31, 2002. The fictionalized take on the life of game show host Chuck Barris starred Clooney himself, alongside Roberts and Sam Rockwell.

May 5, 2008: George Clooney and Julia Roberts serve as Met Gala co-chairs

BILLY FARRELL/Patrick McMullan/Getty

Anna Wintour named Clooney and Robertsco-chairs at the 2008 Met Galaat the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The theme that year was “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy” with honorary chairGiorgio Armani.

Nov. 10, 2013: Julia Roberts honors George Clooney at the BAFTA Britannia Awards

Christopher Polk/BAFTA LA/Getty

Roberts presented Clooney with the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film at the 2013 BAFTA Britannia Awards held at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, California. During her heartfelt speech honoring the actor,she made sure to poke some funat him too.

The actress quipped that there were two reasons she was presenting the award to Clooney: “One,Brad Pittwas out of town. Two, Matt Damon, he’s in town but he was unavailable.”

Jan. 10, 2014: George Clooney produces Julia Roberts' dramaAugust: Osage County

The friends worked alongside each other again when Clooney producedAugust: Osage Countyin 2014. Roberts starred in the film alongside Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch and Abigail Breslin.

Oct. 20, 2014: Julia Roberts gives George Clooney marital advice

Although Roberts wasn’t in attendance atClooney and wife Amal’s wedding, she toldAccess Hollywoodtheadvice she’d give the newlyweds. “Well, the only advice for [having a happy marriage] is finding your person and he’s found his person,” the actress said.

Ahead of the couple’s wedding, Roberts opened up toEllen DeGeneresabout her thoughts on Amal. “I think it’s sublime,” the actress said noting she hadn’t yet met Amal at the time but knew all about her. “She is beautiful and smart and he is happy and that’s what matters to me.”

May 14, 2015: George Clooney recalls introducing wife Amal Clooney to Julia Roberts

HUGO PHILPOTT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Clooney made it a point to set up a dinner date with wife Amal and Roberts to finally introduce the pair. During a 2015 interview withExtra,Roberts reminisced about the interaction.

When asked if Clooney’s new wife got her official seal of approval, Roberts smiled and said, “Oh yes, George doesn’t need my approval, butI am quite enamored of her.”

As for Clooney, the actorenjoyed watching the two ladies bondduring the outing. “It was so much fun to have her meet my wife and have both of them be such good friends and hit it off so well,” he toldE! News.

Sept. 18, 2015: Julia Roberts says George Clooney took care of her while she was pregnant

During an interview withAllure, Roberts recalled the time when her relationship with Clooney went from professional to personal. Specifically, she referenced howhe supported her when she was pregnantwith twins in 2004.

“It was such a sweet shift in our relationships because originally, it was all pranks and teasing each other,” Roberts told the outlet. “And here I am pregnant, so it’s like pulling out my chair and just making sure I have enough water and, ‘Are you feeling okay? You look a little peaked.'”

May 12, 2016: Julia Roberts remembers the first time she thought George Clooney was ‘handsome’

Samir Hussein/WireImage

While chatting with PEOPLE ahead of the premiere of their filmMoney Monster, Roberts admitted thatthe first time she noticed Clooneywas when he appeared on the NBC dramaSistersas Detective James Falconer.

“You were so handsome,” Roberts told the actor during their paired interview.

“She’s so lying,” Clooney retorted. “She watchedThe Facts of Life.”

May 13, 2016: George Clooney and Julia Roberts star alongside each other inMoney Monster

Clooney and Roberts starred opposite each other inMoney Monster, which was released on May 13, 2016.

May 18, 2016: George Clooney and Julia Roberts discuss their 15-year-long friendship

While promoting their filmMoney Monster, Roberts talked to PEOPLE about therealness of her friendshipwith Clooney. “What a relief we’re not Hollywood friends,” Roberts said of her costar. “I just said to him an hour ago, ‘Thank god we really do like each other, or we’d be in hell.'”

Clooney recalled: “She stayed at my house in Italy when she was first pregnant. She brought all those monsters [Roberts’s kidsHazel, Phinnaeus and Henry] back to the house when they were actual human beings and we’ve had a blast with them.”

“What he’s saying is we’ve just stitched our lives closer together,” clarified Roberts. “All these people that come into our lives; my husband, my children, his wife Amal Clooney. We just keep stitching our lives closer together.”

May 19, 2017: Julia Roberts gives George Clooney parenting advice

Chris Polk/FilmMagic

When asked onThe Ellen DeGeneres Showabout theparenting advice she’d give to Clooney and Amal, Roberts explained that it’d be something they’d figure out as they go.

“It’s gonna be so fun, they are a great couple and they don’t need advice from me or anybody else,” the actress told DeGeneres. “Also, nobody’s there with you at 3:00 a.m. in the morning when you’re just going, ‘What am I doing?'” she added.

Dec. 17, 2021: Julia Roberts crashes George Clooney’s interview onJimmy Kimmel Live!

Robertsquietly crashed Clooney’s virtual interviewonJimmy Kimmel Live!, briefly sliding into the frame for a hilarious cameo. The actor was chatting with the host and newcomer Daniel Ranieri about his and the young actor’s new movieThe Tender Barwhen thePretty Womanstar popped in for a few moments.

“George, I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but there’s a woman sitting next to you,” the comedian teased, as Clooney playfully pretended he didn’t see a thing.

As Roberts rolled away, Kimmel joked, “Maybe I hallucinated that. It looked like Julia Roberts though.”

Jan. 27, 2022: George Clooney says he confided in Julia Roberts before committing toTicket to Paradise

Universal Pictures

WhenTicket to Paradise, a romantic comedy about a divorced couple who team up to try to stop their daughter’s wedding, was still in its production, Clooney revealed toDeadlinethathe phoned Roberts before committingto the role in the film. The two agreed that they would only take the job if the other was going to do it.

Clooney explained: “The minute I read [the script] I called Julia, and I said, ‘Did you get this?’ and she said, ‘Yeah,’ and I said ‘Are you going to do it?’ and she goes ‘Are you going to do it? and I said, ‘Yeah, if you do it,'” he added. “So it was just one of those very lucky things.”

May 20, 2022: Julia Roberts opens up about reuniting with George Clooney

During an interview withVariety, Roberts talked aboutreuniting with former costarClooney forTicket to Paradise.

“Christ. I knew this would come up. Watch, the real acting happens now. Ready? [She puts on a big smile.] George, isn’t he great!?” the actress joked.

“I think it’s so funny, and George is so funny, and George and I together,it’s probably going to be terriblebecause there’s too much potential for it to be great, it’ll just implode on it itself,” Roberts continued.

“I think that should be the commercial for the movie: ‘It’s probably going to be terrible,'” she added, before playfully teasing, “I’m so glad my publicist is on a plane right now.”

Sept. 5, 2022: George Clooney talks about kissing Julia Roberts inTicket to Paradise

Julia Roberts and George Clooney inTicket to Paradise.Vince Valitutti/Universal Studios

“Yeah. I told my wife, ‘It took 80 takes,’ " Clooney told the outlet. “She was like, ‘What the hell?'”

“It took 79 takes of us laughing and then the one take of us kissing,” Roberts added, to which Clooney responded, “Well, we had to get it right.”

Sept. 28, 2022: Amal Clooney says her kids call Julia Roberts ‘Auntie JuJu’

During an interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings, Amal revealed that her and Clooney’s twinsElla and Alexandercall Roberts “Auntie JuJu,” adding that they “greatly admire” the actress’ family.

Oct. 12, 2022: George Clooney and Julia Roberts explain why they’ve never dated

In an interview withAccess Hollywood, theTicket to Paradisecostars chatted furtherabout their friendship— includingwhy they never dated, or took things to “a different level.”

“Julia was always in a relationship, or I was in a relationship. And we were fast friends right away,” Clooney explained. “So it was nothing, but it’s been nothing but fun for us. So, I don’t think that was ever really a thing.”

Oct. 13, 2022: Julia Roberts reveals the name she has George Clooney saved as in her phone contacts

During aninterview with YouTuber Jake’s Takes, Roberts revealed that she has Clooney’s number saved in her phone as “Batman Cell” with no picture to accompany the contact. “Now I have to change it,” realized the actress.

“Now everybody knows,” Clooney joked. “And mine’s’Pretty Woman’— it’s not, but I just tried. I’m literally lying about that.”

“I don’t put ‘Julia Roberts’ because if my phone gets picked up then all hell breaks loose,” he added. “I think it’s just ‘JR’ or something like that.”

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Oct. 17, 2022: George Clooney and Julia Roberts attend theTicket to Paradisepremiere

Gilbert Flores/Getty

Clooney and Roberts hit the red carpet at theTicket to Paradisepremierein Los Angeles, California. The costars were all smiles as they posed alongside each other for photos.

Oct. 18, 2022: George Clooney and Julia Roberts reminisce about their 22-year-long friendship

AsTicket to Paradisehit theaters, costarssat down with PEOPLE about their friendshipand revealed the secret that has kept them close over the course of 22 years.

“I think we enjoy the same things. We love the work, but we don’t make the work our entire life,” said Clooney. “It makes going to work really fun. It’s very easy for us.” The actress added, “We have a similar approach to life.

“Listen, the thing about Julia, one of the many great qualities, is she is consistent in her loyalty and in her friendship and in her kindness,” said Clooney. “So if you’d ask me what’s different, I’d say that with the exception of us getting a little bit older, nothing in terms of who we are, or who you are.”

Dec. 4, 2022: Julia Roberts wears a dress covered in photos of George Clooney

Julia Roberts.Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock

Roberts attended the Kennedy Center Honors, where Clooney was celebrated for his contributions to American culture. In support of her friend, the actress wore acustom black Moschino gownthat featured a collage of Clooney photos through the years: from his days onERto more recent projects.

source: people.com