Hollywood stars George Clooney and Julia Roberts have gushed over their friendship with U2 as they lifted the lid on their own Irish roots.
The A-list stars have both spent some time on Irish shores over the years, with Julia having spent weeks here filming Neil Jordan’s Michael Collins in 1996, and George recently embarking on a trip to the island before Covid, to meet distant relatives. The Hollywood heartthrob said: “It was a couple of years ago, just before Covid. I was going there with my father to see some old relatives.
“There were a lot of Clooneys, yeah it was pretty fun actually. Yeah, it was really great – I mean it’s a funny thing where you go to meet people who you are related to who you have never met before…so many look like my uncle George…just really interesting things when you can see your family.”
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Discussing his deep-rooted history, the ER star went on: “You know it’s a funny thing because we constantly have these issues of like refugees and always this discussion about you know…
“You know our family was very much refugees. So, it’s a long history, you know the United States has deep ties to Ireland obviously.
“So, our whole family… my grandmother used to say, the Irish pray on their knees, the Scots prey on their neighbours.”
The actor turned heads during his visit in 2019 after he revealed he joined U2 frontman Bono for Easter dinner during the trip with his wife Amal and their family. Lifting the lid on their rockstar reunion, he said: “I have Eastered [with him]. Listen I don’t enjoy him, he has the sunglasses on you know, I don’t know [joking]. They are really great guys; they are really great guys and good fun.”
Speaking on RTE's Late Late Show, Julia also gushed over her friendship with the Irish rockers, adding: “I love all those lads; they are really great and so talented. And it’s so exciting you guys are all being honoured on the same night.”
Meanwhile, the Pretty Woman star said fell in love with Ireland’s charm herself over 20 years ago, during her time filming Michael Collins, where she played the role Kitty Kieran opposite Liam Neeson. Describing the job as a ‘dream’ role, she added: “It’s on such a high part of my heart shelf, for sure.
“That whole experience was so beautiful. Well, to work with Neil Jordan was such a treat and on a story like this to be invited into that kind of history was I just remember I was just so bowled over really.
“I just couldn’t believe it really and I had worked with Liam once before and I remember when Neil offered me the part and I said you know you know ‘so Liam is good with this too? “Like everybody is on board with this?’ I am pinching myself…
“And to be there and I have family there that we are really close with. To see people that you don’t have the geographical luxury of seeing so often, it was just really a dream job.”
She went on: “What’s not charming about Ireland? I love Ireland.”
The pair were reminiscing together during an appearance on the Late Late Show with host Ryan Tubridy to discuss their new romantic comedy ‘Ticket to Paradise’. Asked if they would consider getting a summer house in Ireland, Julia joked: “I am hoping George will get one and then I will have one.”
“Oh, oh that’s the move, you see,” George quipped. Ryan chimed in: “You could probably move into Bono’s shed.”
To which Julia responded: “I will take his [Bono’s] other shed [laughing].”
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