In his remarks, Clooney expanded on a particular moment of fate. As an aspiring young actor, he would ride his bike to auditions and while at Paramount studios one day—trying out for a role on an 1980s sitcom that he did not get—he saw a man crying at a payphone. Clooney overheard him saying his car broke down and he couldn’t make it to Warner Bros. studios to pitch to another writer. Despite having barely any cash himself, Clooney gave him $20 to take a cab. Some 10 years later, Clooney got a call for an audition for a pilot and immediately booked the job without meeting the executives. “It changed my life. The role would cover a whole year’s rent,” he recalled. “As I was walking down the hallway, a producer stuck his head out and said, ‘You don’t remember me, but you gave me that $20.’ Luck can be shared, and it’s contagious.”

A vocal commentator on politics and humanitarian issues, Clooney addressed the weekend’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. “I can’t be here tonight and just ignore everything that’s going on in the world, in our nation, and in our homes. I disagree with everything this administration stands for, but there’s no place for this kind of violence that we saw two nights ago in Washington, D.C. Nor is there room for violence in Minnesota with Alex Pretti or Renée Nicole Good,” he said from the stage.

As well as a Balenciaga-clad Amal, many of Clooney’s co-stars and peers appeared to tell stories, including Julianna Margulies, his love interest on ER; Sam Rockwell, who was directed by Clooney in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind; and John Turturro, Clooney’s castmate in O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Matt Damon, who’s made six films with Clooney, appeared via video joking that a prior pickleball obligation prevented him from attending the gala in person. Stephen Colbert, whose Late Show debut in 2015 featured Clooney as his first guest, also took part in the tribute.

Having left an indelible mark on cinema, Clooney has plenty to be proud of—including launching the Royal Film and Television Production Magnet, which specializes in training tradespeople from underserved communities for roles on set. “We’ve opened four schools across the country to change the complexion of people who work below-the-line in the industry and I’m excited about that,” Clooney told Vogue. “I’m also proud that my wife and I have a foundation where we try to protect journalists and women. Those are the things that my career has afforded me the ability to do.”