It's no wonder the Italian businessmen claimed George Clooney was behind their fashion line - the actor knows how to wow an audience whether he's on the red carpet or the witness stand.
Maintaining his trademark aura of cool, Clooney delivered a few wisecracks on Friday as he testified against three defendants accused of co-opting his name with the goal of launching a fashion line.
The appearance of the star, who maintains a villa on nearby Lake Como but is rarely seen in Milan in public, sent the normally staid courthouse into full celebrity tilt.
Clooney had to push his way through a wall of cameras into the courtroom, saying "scusa, scusa," - "Excuse me" in Italian - and warning: "Don't crush my lawyers."
Throngs of fans packed the tiny courtroom. The judge repeatedly told spectators to be quiet and tossed out one woman who snapped a photo of Clooney.
The 49-year-old actor wore a navy blue suit, crisp white shirt and red-spotted blue tie as he addressed the court through an interpreter, throwing in occasional words in Italian and apologising for his lack of fluency.
He testified that photos purporting to show him with two of the defendants were doctored and signatures on documents also were forged.
Only one defendant - Vincenzo Cannalire - attended the trial.
Clooney turned to greet him after recognising him from the photos he was looking at.
"This is the first time I've ever seen him," Clooney said, adding: "So I'd like to say hello, nice to meet you."
Two others charged with criminal fraud in the case are Vanja Goffi and Francesco Galdelli.
Clooney said one photo purporting to show him with Goffi was doctored from a photo with an ex-girlfriend in real life.
The actor said he had never met Goffi but knew of her from stories on the internet that claimed they had a romantic relationship.
"Of course, I have seen her for the last three years in every single interview story nearly every day," Clooney said with a hint of annoyance.
He said she even moved to the town in Italy where he spends about two months a year, but: "I've never met her. I've never seen her."
Examining other photos, Clooney explained why he was not the man in one picture: "Here, for instance. I don't smoke and I don't wear that watch," Clooney said.
"I also don't wear long jean shorts."
The signatures on the many documents he examined either were forged or photocopies, Clooney said.
"My signature is very easy to get, as you can imagine, off the internet, off eBay," Clooney testified.
"You would think if you were going to forge my signature, you would borrow several different versions of it."
The actor noted just two versions of the photocopied signature were used.
The case dated to 2006, when Rolex wrote to tell him to stop wearing one of their watches in public. Clooney is a spokesman for Omega.
After his 90-minute testimony, Judge Pietro Caccialanza thanked Clooney, wryly noting the session "has lasted as long as a movie".
I think this guy is so handsome. In a Cary Grant sorta way - very old school. Charming and naughty at once. Not just a pretty face, and you know that there's a brain working in there somewhere, behind that blinding smile- that seems to be just for moi ! Hahahah!
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