George and Amal Clooney might be one of Hollywood's most established couples today, but before Amal, he had a star marriage to Crawlspace actress Talia Balsam through the late '80s and into the '90s. Keep reading to find out who stole George's heart before he fell for Amal, where you've seen the actress before and discover her own lasting love story with a fellow Hollywood star...
© Ron Galella Collection via Getty ImagesGeorge and Talia tied the knot in 1989
Marriage to Talia
George Clooney met Talia Balsam during the infancy of their careers, when they co-starred in a play in 1984. The couple tied the knot five years later.
The Ocean's 11 star reportedly filed for divorce from Talia in 1992. He told Barbara Walters three years later, "I won't marry again", claiming he "wasn't very good" at it.
© Ron Galella Collection via Getty ImagesTalia has worked on several star projects
Talia's star career
Talia has had several star roles over the last four decades, including roles in Crawlspace, In the Mood and Little Manhattan. In 1992, she received a Theatre World Award for her performance in the Broadway play Jake's Women.
She also co-starred with Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church on the three-season series Divorce and worked on Mad Men as Mona Sterling.
© WireImage for Project A.L.S. via Getty ImagesTalia married the love of her life five years after she split from George
Love after George
After splitting from George, Talia married John Slattery in 1998. John works as an actor
and director, appearing in Mad Men, Nuremberg and God's Pocket.
In 2009, he told Redbook the secret to their happy and long-lasting partnership: “We’ve been married 10 years and were together five years before we were married, and we travel a lot, sometimes alone, sometimes together, and I think that independence is a big part of it; having your own life is a big part of being happy together.”
© Getty Images for Tribeca FestivaTalia has also directed a short film and full length feature
Where is Talia today?
Now, Talia works as an actress and director, with recent on-screen projects including Omaha (2025), High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam (2025) and Love Story (2026).
She first took on the role of director for the 2020 short film Campbell Scott and once more for 2021's Everything I Ever Wanted to Tell My Daughter About Men.
© Getty ImagesHarry Slattery is following in his parents' footsteps
Son Harry's burgeoning stardom
The acting bug didn't stop with Talia. Her only child Harry was born in 1999 and has already appeared on screen several times. He made his debut in the 2006 feature Shortbus.
In 2021, he returned to the screen as an adult, working on an episode of Girls5eva, followed by 2026 projects including Lisa Kudrow's The Comeback, the short film See Me and Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: An Almost History of America.
© WireImageAmal and George have found a lasting bond and welcomed two new additions to their family
Amal and George's Hollywood romance
George has also found love once more, meeting international human rights lawyer Amal Clooney in 2013. He proposed the following year and they tied the knot in September 2014.
The couple welcomed twins Ella and Alexander in 2017. In 2025, on the red carpet for the New York Film Festival, George joked to People: "I've been very lucky to have great family and great friends, and my kids actually like me still. They're young."
