George Clooney is one of Hollywood’s last legendary movie stars, evoking a sense of old school sophistication and swoon-worthy charm. But if you’ve been missing his handsome face onscreen lately, there’s a reason for that. Don’t worry, there’s no need to rush his career to the ER, as he’s still very much in the acting game. Rather, the Wolfs actor’s priorities have seemingly shifted, as he recently opened up about moving his family to France, and why staying in Hollywood would’ve ‘worried’ him.
Yes, George Clooney, his wife Amal Clooney, and their now eight-year-old twins have lived on an estate in France since 2021. The move away from Hollywood hasn’t impacted Clooney’s career too much given his upcoming Netflix release Jay Kelly and Ocean’s 14 in the works, but it certainly limits options. However, the Ticket To Paradise actor doesn’t seem to care, telling Esquire he knows it was the right decision for raising his kids:
You know, we live on a farm in France. A good portion of my life growing up was on a farm, and as a kid I hated the whole idea of it. But now, for them, it’s like—they’re not on their iPads, you know? They have dinner with grown-ups and have to take their dishes in. They have a much better life.
I love this take so much because you can tell he genuinely cares about his kids happiness. The internet can be a difficult place to navigate, and it’s no secret that too much screen time isn’t great for social development. It’s something Clooney is adamant about for his guests too based on his house rules. His protectiveness of his kids goes beyond limiting screen time though, as it played a major role in the Ocean’s 11 actor’s decision to live abroad:
I was worried about raising our kids in L. A., in the culture of Hollywood. I felt like they were never going to get a fair shake at life. France—they kind of don’t give a shit about fame. I don’t want them to be walking around worried about paparazzi. I don’t want them being compared to somebody else’s famous kids.
Clooney’s not the only celebrity to express concern over raising their kids in L.A. Mark Wahlberg, Matthew McConaughey, and James Van Der Beek are just a few of the many actors to leave Hollywood, citing that it was the best decision for their families.
The majority of them have chosen to relocate elsewhere in the U.S, with some even choosing off-the-grid locations such as rural Vermont. Taking things international is a big move though, but I think Clooney might be on to something. There’s a lot more financial incentive to film abroad these days, and he is at the point in his career where productions are willing to come to him. His new film Jay Kelly filmed at four on-site locations, three of which were close to home in Europe.
The actor’s been accused of only taking on characters similar to himself in films, an accusation only fueled by Noah Baumbach’s latest feature, in which Clooney plays a famous older actor, grappling with the concept of aging in the industry.
Watch On
However, if these are the roles he’s getting, and he still manages to wow audiences with his talent (and he’s doing fine on that front), what’s the problem? Being sought after for roles instead of the other way around is certainly a luxury he’s earned. It’s a privilege that allows him to take on a more involved parental role, making memories such as painting a fence with his kids, a sweet anecdote he shared in the interview:
And at first they’re taking these little, tiny brushstrokes, boop, boop, boop. And I go, Nooo, paint the goddamn fence. And then they go crazy painting the fence and they’re covered with paint and oil and stuff.
Based on how the twins pop in and out of this interview, dressed in costumes playing make believe, and also their history of pulling pranks on their parents, I’d say from an outside perspective, the Clooneys are doing a pretty good job as parents. Knowing the actor and his incredible human-rights lawyer of a wife are good people at heart makes me an even bigger fan, and I can’t wait to watch Jay Kelly with my Netflix subscription when it drops December 5.