George Clooney makes his last TIFF-related public appearance in Toronto
This city just can’t get enough of George Clooney. People lined up for more than five hours at the Ryerson Theatre to catch a glimpse of him one last time for the premiere of Up in the Air. Unlike the last premiere, this venue and its red carpet are much smaller, so the media was relegated to one side and fans were on the other. Since priority is given to the press, the stars walked the media line as publicists, assistants, security and TIFF volunteers stood behind the celebs, blocking the fans’ view.
As a result, the chanting of the stars’ names in an attempt to get their attention was much more unified (did they practise ahead of time?) and successful. Clooney briefly signed autographs while co-star Jason Bateman worked a line of Arrested Development fans. “Are you guys having fun?” he asked to the ecstatic crowd. Clooney, on the other hand, had a glint of concern in his eyes as fans pushed the barricades with their arms, clenching scraps of paper, and markers jabbed the back of everyone’s heads. We have the Sharpie stains to prove it.
