US actor George Clooney raised almost $1m for US presidential candidate Barack Obama by headlining an exclusive event for US citizens in Geneva, Switzerland.
Fresh from the world premiere of the Coen brothers' comedy 'Burn After Reading' in Venice, Mr Clooney slipped without fanfare into the Swiss city Tuesday night for his first appearance on behalf of the Democratic nominee.
Dressed in a black suit and tie, he signed autographs but did not comment as he squeezed his way past fans gathered in the narrow streets of Geneva.
Some 170 contributors paid €688 a head to hear him speak at a cocktail party held at a museum.
75 high-rolling supporters spent €6,880 each to attend 'an intimate seated dinner' with the 47-year-old star which followed at the organiser's nearby apartment, according to the US lawyer who set up the twin 'private' events.
'Mr Clooney gave an excellent speech tonight; it was very stirring and moving. Barack Obama is the right person to repair our relations with the rest of the world,' one US attendee said as he left the cocktail party on his way to the dinner.
Another US woman said of Mr Clooney's remarks: 'Everybody who was there was already fired up, but it only sort of affirmed what we believe already. He definitely had his talking points down, with great deliveries. He was very funny.'
Fully Subscribed
Earlier, organiser Charles Adams said on local morning radio that the event was 'fully subscribed'.
'Actually most of our guests for dinner are coming from elsewhere - people are flying in from Los Angeles, Prague, London, Zurich and so on,' said Mr Adams, who serves on Obama's National Finance Committee.
'I personally assured George Clooney that Geneva is a city where reserve is a way of life, that he won't be attacked by fans trying to tear off his shirt,' he added.
The two events could infuse more than €620,000 into the Democratic war chest ahead of the 4 November election which pits the Illinois senator against Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona, who is due to be formally nominated on Wednesday.
In keeping with US laws, only US citizens were allowed to buy tickets to the fundraiser which has had normally sober Geneva buzzing.
Hollywood has long had a strong connection with US politics. Actors Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger were both elected Republican governors of California, and Mr Reagan went on to become the 40th US president.
Gwyneth Paltrow currently appears in a film ad on YouTube for Democrats Abroad, encouraging US expatriates to register and cast their ballots.
Nearly 6 million US citizens live abroad, including some 16,400 in Switzerland. About 4,500 of them reside in Geneva, known for its high-end jewelers and watchmakers, as well as its private banks catering to the very rich.
