George Clooney says he was ‘worried’ about raising his children in Hollywood

By Amarachi Orie, CNN

(CNN) — George Clooney has been immersed in the glitz and glamour of Hollywood for decades, but he didn’t want the same for his children – and for good reason.

The two-time Oscar winner, who lives on a farm in France with his wife Amal and 8-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella, shared his joys and concerns regarding his family life in an interview with Esquire, published Monday.

“I was worried about raising our kids in LA, in the culture of Hollywood,” Clooney said.

“I felt like they were never going to get a fair shake at life. France – they kind of don’t give a sh*t about fame,” the 64-year-old continued.

“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,” he added.

In fact, Clooney doesn’t even want his children to be compared to him.

“The only thing I feel lucky about is that I’m so much older that the idea that my son would be compared to me is pretty unlikely, because by the time he actually will have done anything, I’m gonna be gumming my bread,” Clooney said humorously.

The actor and director’s big onscreen break came in his 30s when he starred as a series regular in the medical drama “ER,” portraying Dr. Doug Ross between 1994 and 1999.

Clooney, who admitted that he did drugs in the 1980s and that it’s “hard to not make a mistake that could really – not ruin your career but certainly stall it,” said that is it likely for the best that he garnered fame later in life.

“I think probably, again, because I was older, I’d sort of done all my dumb things when nobody knew who I was,” he reflected.

The movie star, who is a major Democratic donor, is also a recognized name in the world of politics.

Last year, Clooney penned a New York Times op-ed calling for then-US President Joe Biden to bow out of the presidential race. It came after Biden reportedly no longer recognized Clooney when he saw him at a June 2024 fundraiser. The op-ed marked a watershed moment, with Biden later exiting the race.

Clooney said he wrote the piece “because I’d been a personal witness to things.” However, he is unlikely to pen such thoughts again. “I think people have heard enough from me.”

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