Amal Clooney had 'given up with love' pre-George romance

George and Amal Clooney have become one of Hollywood's most loved power couples ever since their magical Italian wedding in 2014.

After finding love unexpectedly in Lake Como, where they were introduced by a mutual friend, it seems the Academy Award-winning actor and the human rights lawyer's love story was written in the stars - though Amal didn't always think that way.

George has spoken incredibly highly of his wife whenever he's given the chance to, explaining that Amal handled his fame "like a champ" whenever the paparazzi threatened to invade their privacy in the early stages of dating.

The actor was 52 when he first set eyes on his future wife, and hadn't been married since the breakdown of his first marriage with Talia Balsam , which ended in 1993.

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"There was no doubt that we were the right couple and that we were the right team. And we were a team from right off the bat. Immediately, we felt we were just happy, and we have been happy ever since," the Ocean's 11 actor told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017.

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In 2018, it was Amal's turn to take over the spotlight, as she graced the stage at the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony honoring her husband.

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Making her public speaking debut to pay tribute to her beau's enduring career, she also shed light on their love behind closed doors and revealed a surprising truth about their 17-year age gap relationship .

"It's somehow easier for me to address a court on behalf of a detainee than to speak publicly, as I’m doing for the first time tonight for my husband," Amal opened her speech, per USA Today.

"I met George when I was 35 and starting to become quite resigned to the idea that I was going to be a spinster," she admitted.

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"Then we met, started hiding out in my London flat and very soon it felt like no matter what happened I would never want to be with anyone else. I couldn’t sleep when we were apart, and I’m told I would display a particular grin and head tilt when reading his text messages or the letters that he would hide in my bag."

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Amal went on to say that "five years later, none of that has changed."

She added, “He is the person who has my complete admiration, and also the person whose smile makes me melt every time. My love, what I have found with you is the great love that I always hoped existed."