George Clooney is 65 and has one rule he won’t compromise on.
Last night, at the Venice Film Festival, he received the honorary Golden Lion for his entire career. But the moment that stayed in everyone’s memory wasn’t about awards or films: it was when he explained why he stopped directing, something he deeply loves, after Ella and Alexander, his 9-year-old twins, were born.
“If I act in a film, I’m away from school for three months. If I direct one, it’s a year. And I can’t do that anymore”, he confessed with a laugh, as Amal Clooney smiled among the audience. He said that he is now happy being a “character actor” because it allows him to stay close to home. He also spoke about growing older, feeling fortunate, and how no one gets far alone. But it was that simple, matter-of-fact phrase that summed up what truly matters to him today.