Veteran actor George Clooney is embracing a new chapter – one defined less by leading-man bravado and more by fatherhood, perspective and purposeful storytelling.
In a wide-ranging interview with Variety, the Oscar winner reflected on life at home with his eight-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella, sharing a moment that will feel painfully familiar to parents everywhere.
"My kids get sick with something; they're fine in three days," George joked. "I'm an old sh*t – it takes me forever!" He went on to recall returning home from work to be greeted enthusiastically by his son. "He came running up to me saying, 'Papa, Papa, I don't feel well,' and he sneezed in my mouth. I've been sick as a dog."
It's a far cry from the famously suave bachelor George once embodied – a persona he happily retired when he married human rights lawyer Amal Clooney in 2014. Now firmly in family-man mode, Clooney appears content, grounded and quietly joyful. That transformation hasn't gone unnoticed by those closest to him.
"This chapter of George's life fills me with so much joy," longtime friend Julia Roberts told Variety. "Amal is an absolute rock star. I could never conjure up a dream girl like this for George, and to watch him with his kids is so special."
That personal evolution is mirrored on screen in George's latest project, Jay Kelly, which signals a deliberate career pivot. While George has never shied away from reinvention, this role feels particularly pointed. He plays a famous, deeply self-absorbed actor whose glittering public life masks profound loneliness.
The titular Jay Kelly is estranged from his family, friendless despite global fame, and reliant on handlers to maintain his carefully airbrushed image. When he travels to Tuscany to accept a lifetime achievement award, the only person who turns up is his weary manager, played by Adam Sandler.
From there, the film follows Jay as he travels across Italy attempting to reconnect with his daughter, who is backpacking through Europe and deeply resentful of his absence. It's a role that subtly interrogates celebrity, legacy and emotional cost – themes George seems increasingly interested in exploring.
"If you're trying to hold on to being a romantic leading man at my age, it gets sad," George admitted. "I don't want to be pathetic."
Instead, he's choosing something richer: complex roles, honest self-reflection and a life anchored by family – sneezes and all.