George Clooney's Pals Sound Off on His Engagement: 'It Was About Time!'

George Clooney's Pals Sound Off on His Engagement: 'It Was About Time!'
By PAUL CHI AND MICHELLE WARD
05/01/2014 at 08:00 AM EDT
Now that George Clooney plans to tie the knot with Amal Alamuddin, friends and colleagues of the newly engaged couple are thrilled and offering their best wishes.

"I'm happy for him," Clooney's Gravity director, Alfonso Cuarón, told PEOPLE at Tuesday's Time 100 Gala in New York. "To me George is a terrific and a fantastic person. As a husband I think he will be the same. He's a guy who is so generous and respectful, and I think he will be good at marriage, too. George is also genuinely honest. And, it's so much fun to be around him."

Clooney's close friend Charlie Rose, co-anchor of CBS This Morning, says the Oscar winner shares the same interests with Alamuddin, 36. Rose also has gotten to know Alamuddin, who attended a conference that he hosted in Aspen last year.

"George has a very serious side to him," the veteran journalist, 72, who has spent time with Clooney, 52, at his home in Lake Como, told PEOPLE. "He's a prankster and a damn good actor, but he also cares about issues as she does."

MSNBC host Ronan Farrow is a friend of Alamuddin and seeks her legal expertise in privacy law. The two met while working at the United Nations.

"Amal is incredibly accomplished and has a substantive legal mind. I have a lot of admiration for what she does," Farrow, 26, told PEOPLE. "She's tremendously charming and beguiling. Just look at her career. When I'm ready to do an interview on privacy law or when I'm interviewing someone connected to Julian Assange or Glenn Greenwald, she's one of the people that I turn to. She's wonderful."

For Martha Stewart, who is a fan of Clooney's films, she was happy to hear that the Hollywood heartthrob finally decided to settle down.

"I thought it was about time!" Stewart, 72, told PEOPLE. "They make a great couple."

Stewart has got a recipe recommendation for the bride-to-be, too – if she ever finds time to cook.

"George is a healthy eater. She should make one of our one-pot meals," Stewart said. "It's a new book that is coming out and everything is made in one pot like pasta and chicken ... They have busy schedules, and making a one-pot meal, they can prepare healthy meals in a quick and easy way. I think that's a meal he will enjoy."

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Leave it to Martha to plug something SHE's coming out with (one pot meals cookbook) while wishing someone else happiness. brahahahaha

But we are still not hearing from the boys and acting friends!!!

Bugger them, Mazy! I want to hear from the ex girlfriends!!

WOW never thought about it until now you said it. ME TOO...wonder why the ex girlfriends are quite so far. This would be the moment for some to come back to the media and promote they career (not be meant offensive so don't beat me).

I believe the ex's are all convening together right now, 
in the ladies restroom of a secet hotel,
preparing their joint statement !

The ladies restroom may be full of 20 plus women...

Sevens wrote:The ladies restroom may be full of 20 plus women...

Where's that damn fly when we need it ?

Sorry Jo I don't get the point...

The saying is "I'd like to be a fly on the wall" when you want to know what's happening somewhere where you can't be - on the basis that nobody notices flies but flies are in a position to notice everything.

Thanks Katie for that perfect explanation!
Vivid expression...Anyway we have multiple "sources" all flying around to get us some news!