They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, but in Talia Balsam’s case, it might be more accurate to say the ‘Oscar-winning apple’ rolled a little further than expected.

Born into the Hollywood elite, the daughter of Martin Balsam, Talia Balsam could have easily followed the well-trodden path of fading into the backdrop of A-list spouses. Instead, she has strutted her stuff, leaving a lasting mark on Hollywood, one meticulously chosen role at a time.

George Clooney’s ex-wife Talia Balsam in a Sill from Mad Men | Credit: AMC

Before George Clooney was gallivanting around with Amal (and becoming the global heartthrob we all know and love), he was once a starry-eyed bachelor trying on the role of husband to Talia Balsam.

Yes, Clooney had a brief marriage to Balsam back in 1989. It wasn’t a fairy tale with a happy ending, but as the former confessed,...