George Clooney is practically the poster child for older dads, after welcoming twins Alexander and Ella with his human rights lawyer wife, Amal Clooney, in 2017. The actor was 56 when his twins were born, and he has been honest about approaching fatherhood as someone who believed he would never be a dad.
The Oscar winner spoke to The Times about how his children arrived at the perfect time in his life, when his career was well-established and he could be picky with the projects he chose to take on. "It's easier for me. I had kids very late, and so I could spend more time with them. But when you're young? That's hard," he shared.
"Most people are sacrificing time with their family to make a living," he continued, adding that he "would complain if my dad didn't make it to a ballgame I was in, but he was working". George's father is the celebrated journalist Nick Clooney, who also worked as a TV host and later ran for a seat in the House of Representatives.
"When you get older, you cut everyone a little more slack. We're just trying to put food on the table," he concluded.
Learn more about George and Amal's twins below...
George previously revealed on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast in 2021 that he never envisioned himself as a father until Amal came into his life in 2013.
"Listen, I didn't want to get married; I didn't want to have kids. And then this extraordinary human being walked into my life, and I just fell madly in love. And I knew from the minute I met her that everything was going to be different," he recalled.
After they tied the knot in 2014, the pair discussed the prospect of welcoming children. "I just said, 'Well, I mean, if you're in,' and she said, 'I think we should try.' I have to say it was very emotional because I really was convinced that wasn't my lot in life and was comfortable with that," he shared.
"I couldn't be more surprised at how happy I am. It's a very odd thing, I do have to say." Elsewhere in the interview, George spoke about shaping his career around his children. "The hard part is being 60 and just the sheer running around of it," he said.
"I had this discussion with Amal the other day because I turned 60. Look, we have to rethink how we're doing our lives. We're working a lot, both of us. She's working a tremendous amount as well."
He continued: "I just said, it doesn't mean we don't do a job because we gotta do a job. If you don't have a job, you're dead. We also have to make sure we're spending less time behind a computer or going on locations."
"We're going to spend time with our kids, and we're gonna travel again. We have a house with a lake and a rope swing. I can still do the rope swing at 60, I'm not sure about 80. I might [expletive] myself when I grab the rope."
George couldn't help but poke fun at his situation in an interview with Hoda Kotb for the Today show, after being asked if he was "scared" of missing milestones in his kids' lives due to his age.
"I kind of like the idea of being sort of out of it when my daughter starts to date," he joked, before imitating his daughter. "Papa, I want you to meet [this guy], he's a drummer in a band."
"What? I like toast," George said while pretending to be "out of it". His Ticket to Paradise co-star, Julia Roberts, chimed in: "The truth is, no matter how we are, George, being the oldest of us, [our children] have chosen us in this moment to be their stewards and their shepherds in this life experience."