George Clooney’s ex’s famous husband makes rare appearance at the Sundance Festival

John Slattery made a rare public appearance at the Sundance Film Festival, cutting a low-key but polished figure against a wintry backdrop. 

The actor – who is married to George Clooney’s former first wife, Talia Balsam – kept things effortlessly cool in a charcoal crew-neck knit layered beneath a sharp black blazer, teamed with dark jeans and sturdy boots.

The Mad Men star appeared beside an Acura-branded bobsled display, hands relaxed in his pockets as the snow-dusted mountains loom behind him. 

Another close-up highlighted his signature silver hair and black-rimmed glasses, with his pared-back look letting the alpine setting do the talking.

 It was a quietly stylish moment for the low key actor, marking a welcome return to the spotlight at one of cinema’s most celebrated festivals.

© Getty Images for Acura

John shares one child with Talia and they have been married since 1998. George and Talia met in 1984 when starring in a local play, and quickly fell in love. However, their relationship didn’t last very long and Talia broke things off.

In between, he dated actress Kelly Preston (the late future wife of John Travolta) from 1987-89, even adopting a Pot-bellied pig with her named Max (who he kept after the break-up).

© GC Images

Years later, he and Talia reconnected and things moved quickly. He proposed in 1989 and soon after, that December, they jetted off to Las Vegas and tied the knot.

Things started off well for the newlyweds. However, just three years in, their marriage started to deteriorate. “It was a very tough time,” George told Vanity Fair. “And in the middle of it all I had a bleeding ulcer and I was really sick.”

By 1992, he had filed for divorce, which was made official the following year. “I probably – definitely – wasn’t someone who should have been married at that point,” he shared. “I just don’t feel like I gave Talia a fair shot. I was responsible for the failure of that marriage.” 

© Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Talia comes from a family of actors, the daughter of Martin Balsam and Joyce Van Patten, and the niece of actor Dick Van Patten.

She began her acting career in the late ’70s, at the same time as her ex-husband, and landed her first role of notice in 1977 on the sitcom Happy Days. She continued playing recurring and supporting roles in TV and film for decades.

Her most significant roles include recurring turns on the shows Homeland and Mad Men, plus starring opposite Sarah Jessica Parker in the HBO series Divorce from 2016-19.