George Clooney is still promoting The Tender Bar, which he produced and directed. George is in a good place in his life – two young children, a smart wife, hundreds of millions of dollars in the bank and the freedom to do whatever he wants creatively. It’s a wonder he even grants so many interviews – he truly has “f–k you” money and he could sit in Como, Italy for the rest of his life. He chatted with the Guardian about money, art, his political conscience and how the twins only have one nanny, four days a week.
Whether he has “enough” money now: “Well, yeah. I was offered $35m for one day’s work for an airline commercial, but I talked to Amal about it and we decided it’s not worth it. It was [associated with] a country that, although it’s an ally, is questionable at times, and so I thought: ‘Well, if it takes a minute’s sleep away from me, it’s not worth it.’”
How he avoided public embarrassments: “I was 33, 34 when ER took off, so I was older, right? Also, Rosemary was a huge singer – huge! And then rock’n’roll came and she lost her career. And she didn’t get it, because at 21 she thought she was the real deal and by 26 it was gone. So, I’m lucky enough to understand how little the fame side has to do with me.”
Having twins: “Are they very different kids? Ours are so different; it’s like night and day. Alexander loves to laugh and Ella’s very serious, always making sure everybody plays by the rules. They really are born with their personalities!”
He & Amal don’t have an army of nannies: “We don’t, because it’s so important to Amal [to be involved]. We have a nanny four days a week and the rest of the time it’s just us. And during lockdown it was just us – for a full year! I felt like my mother in 1964, doing dishes and six loads of laundry a day.”
Why ‘The Tender Bar’, a sweet coming-of-age story: “The whole country, for the last five years, has been engaged in hate and anger, and I’ve been part of it at times. I’ve been angry, and this was such a kind story. It’s such a gentle film, and I wanted to be part of that, and I thought maybe an audience would want to be part of a gentle experience.”
Why he’s not acting much these days: “In general, there just aren’t that many great parts – and, look, I don’t have to act. My wife and I had this conversation when I turned 60 this summer. I said: ‘I can still bounce around pretty good, and we both love what we do. But we gotta make sure we don’t book ourselves silly.’ So, part of it is just us making sure we live our lives.”
Why he speaks out about political issues: “I would be so ashamed if, for instance, in this last Trump regime, I hadn’t been on the record of being against some of the horrible things he’d done. My kids would be like: ‘So, they were putting kids in cages and you didn’t say anything?’ The blowback is nowhere near as bad as the shame I’d feel.”
Old Hollywood: “The two actors who were personally friends and also had the most influence on me were Paul Newman and Gregory Peck, both of whom were men I greatly admired for who they were and how they were on screen. They were proper old-fashioned movie stars and they mixed it up in [politics]. So it was really fun to be friends with them and copy some of the things they did.”
I kind of believe that George and Amal are not knee-deep in nannies. I think George especially doesn’t like a lot of people around him, and he probably loves that his kids are growing up without being waited on hand and foot. I like what he said about wanting to make a sweet, gentle film after the chaos of the Trump years too – that is what a lot of people need from art, just something nice and comfortable. As for the airline… Emirates Airlines? That’s my guess.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
This is the most likable I’ve found him to be in ages.
Never been a fan but since I saw him once lay into a journalist just because he didn’t like the guy’s question, I’ve thought of him as an arrogant pr*ck. He tried to humiliate the guy.
I am guessing his drink business is what is making him lots of money. Even in his hey day he never was the highest paid and didnt do that many movies.
@Noki: He sold Casamigos to Diageo a few years ago for over $700 million.
In his first feature film (during his ER heyday), he was paid $10 million. I think it was Dusk “Til Dawn, a vampire flick. I remember because that same year, Denzil Washington was paid $1 million for a film and I thought it was a travesty for George to be paid 10X what Denzil made.
Always thought that he got money through shady deals and casamigos was mostly a shell company. It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t really sell tequila but come on .. he wouldn’t get billionaire from that
His cut was one-third though. He got something like $233.33 hundred million, with a bonus for performance over think it was ten years following sale. Not bad at all. Ryan Reynolds is trunking to do the same thing.
He still acts but mostly in movies he directs and produces through his own company.
I missed the part in the story about the “airline”?
It’s either Emirates, Etihad or Turkish airlines. Those are ones who spend a lot of money on sponsorships and brand Ambassadors.
..or Qatar. They kept flying throughout much of Covid and have definitely become a bigger airline player as of late. And they DO dubious (or rather human rights violating) things, like the forced gynecological exams of all childbearing women (on a flight to Australia from Doha) when they found an abandoned newborn in one of their airport bathrooms…like wtf??!!
https://www.businessinsider.com/qatar-airport-searches-woman-describes-trauma-forced-internal-exam-2021-11?r=US&IR=T
https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/10/27/women-reportedly-subjected-forced-gynecological-exams-qatar
I am from Qatar and can confirm that was 100% an isolated and disgusting incident carried out by a few rogue airport employees. Qatari authorities very quickly spoke out against the action. All of us here were horrified and heartbroken for those women when the news came out as it was so contrary to the normal respect given to women here.
emirates was my first guess the moment i read that line
There are blind items though about him actually not having that much money and that he needs the work
He sold his company in 2017 for one billion dollars. Blind items are like the Daily fail it’s either a hit or a miss and, most times it’s a miss.
I am sure he made plenty of money off that but it is unlikely he and Rande Gerber were the sole owners or even the originators of Casamigos. It is more likely a private equity firm put the whole thing together and the stories about how it was founded were embellished.
700 mill not a billion. Plus that wasn’t just his money, there are 2 others co-founders. So 700 / 3 and then consider half of the pie of each founders part going to taxes due to capital gains, they are each left with 100-150K.
G, one third of 700 million is 250 (almost). If a part of it goes to taxes (let’s say half) it’s still 125 million…
I doubt the Clooneys need money.
Really. I think they handle their money well and are very comfortable.
“The blowback is nowhere near as bad as the shame I’d feel.” I wish more people felt this way, especially our elected officials. Maybe then we wouldn’t be in this mess.
I liked reading this, he seems grounded and mostly at peace.
@Esmom – me too. Many politicians do not care about legacy or how they’ll be viewed by history. Influencers have nothing on them for being thirsty clickbait traps. Every time I see Marj Green or Joe Manchin, to name only two, it’s so clear they want their picture and name out there right now. No positive legacy will be passed on, but all the headline now gives them something they’re craving (again not just these two). I try to hope though. For example, descendants of Lee’s family who supported removal of confederate statues. But, it is so long after the fact. We do need more solace, love, kindness and changes now.
He has always had a good sense of humor about himself and his career. He makes smart decisions, and they seem to be working out well. I will always admire the way George shut down the marriage/kids issue before anyone had a chance to ask. I’m glad he is sticking to his principals regarding the airline commercial. He hit the jackpot with Amal.
He must really, really love Nespresso then.
Is he still doing that? I haven’t see him in one in years.
George is one of the few who made the transition from television to film successfully. I like that his wife is smart and I like that he’s pretty private. I like that he keeps those children out of sight. And I like this item.
Why do rich people feel they have to downplay all the help they have. Own it
It is odd. I seriously doubt George and Amal are still doing their own laundry, house keeping, grocery shopping etc. They also don’t have to keep their own calendars by themselves. To hand off the mental energy running a household takes is no small amount of outsourcing.
But I do like the interview and how genuinely happy with his family he seems.
He said he has 1 nanny, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a cleaning lady, a cook and a gardener. I dont think Amal & Clooney do it all themselves. They just like their weekends free of staff – but did more during covid.
Really. During normal times, I’m sure they have evening and weekend events so they have to have someone to stay with the children then.
Exactly. IF (and I do think it’s a BIG if) they don’t have a FT Nanny, they have at least ONE housekeeper, maid staff, cooks, etc. They have HUGE homes (in England and Cuomo) and they’re not being upkept by George sweeping the mile long drive, raking the leaves, and Amal washing the floors, and scrubbing down the toilets daily. Please.
Thing is, I like George… but this “humble man” garbage… c’mon buddy!
C’mon now, he said during lockdown he felt like his mom in 1964 & that he did it for a full year. Just a year. As so many people had to do. He acknowledges their privilege, in how they can now talk about do we or don’t we want to take on this paycheck or that.
I think he meant they didn’t have a nanny during lockdown. So I think both takes here are valid. They spent a year without a nanny, but there’s no way they lived in one of their mansions without other help around. I believe he did some laundry and dishes when the housekeeper wasn’t there (maybe on weekends), but I don’t believe they were cleaning bathrooms or mopping floors.
Yeah. Someone in their household was speaking Italian to their kids or the kids wouldn’t have been speaking it at the end of last year when he was doing press for his last movie. He and Amal don’t speak Italian. I think he forgets what stories he has told.
How do you know they don’t speak Italian?
The interviewer was asking him specifically about the twins and how many nannies he has, so he wasn’t hiding the other stuff, it just was a specific question.
i feel like there are parallels between this and celebs who deny having plastic surgery/cosmetic procedures.
like seriously just be fucking honest and own it
Well the kids are 4 now so 1 nanny would suffice. I doubt however that they only had 1 nanny when the kids were under 2. Nice to hear they did it all themselves for a year during lockdown tho
Great point @Jay. Completely agree
You know what, I don’t really care how much or how little help George’s family feels comfortable with. I would definitely have household help if I had the money.
But I’m kind of happy that male celebrities are getting asked this question now, too. For too long, questions about balancing career and family was a question reserved for women.
Goooood point Jay. That’s very true.
I wish reporters didn’t ask this question of male or female celebrities. And I wish celebrities didn’t feel they had to justify themselves as parents by downplaying the help they receive. You could have “an army of nannies” and still be loving attentive parents. Most parents work. They may not have nannies but their kids are taken care of most of the day with some kind of child care. It doesn’t make them any less of a parent. Absolutely, having a full time nanny makes life much much easier but it’s not a measure of what kind of parent you are.
If I did the kind of work that Amal did, I would 100% have a nanny. There is simply not enough hours in the day and as much as I would love to have extra time with my kids, my brain can only go so far before it goes numb and blocks out either the work or home aspect. Mental fatigue is just as real as the physical; that is why parents who work multiple jobs NEED and should have access to government-sponsored early childhood support because how can they be expected to come home, teach and spend quality time with their kids while going through the logistics of dinner, bath and bedtime? It takes a village and nannies or tutors or teachers should be available to everyone who needs them.
He lived in a pretty modest house in Studio City in our neighborhood for years after he made it big on ER. And his aunt Rosemary Clooney‘s expérience is something he’s been citing from the start. Even if there were silent partners in Casamigos, he still got a big big paycheck. So I totally believe he’s set, with all the f-you money he’ll ever need.
Even one nanny sounds like a nice form of assistance to me. Maybe that’s less than what other celebrities have. but it’s still helpful. So I don’t really have a point — that’s just what I was thinking when I read it.
Do other celebrities actually have an army of nannies? I assume rich people have one nanny, but also one housekeeper, one personal assistant, and one something of X, Y, and Z in the household they need ticked off the list. I don’t think that’s bad, but I would assume that’s how it works to keep their career schedules intact.
Some rich people have a nanny per child plus possibly one or more extra to cover the nights and the other nannies’ days off. Basically, they make sure they never have to do the actual work of raising the children, just the fun stuff.
For someone in the Clooney’s income bracket, being the sole carer for two children 3 days a week is a massive commitment.
They probably do have a full time housekeeper at least plus one or more PAs each but they could outsource the rest (the housekeeper supervises a 6 person cleaning crew, a 4 person gardening team, all laundry and ironing is sent out etc.). It’s what William and Kate used to do to downplay the number of staff they had – hire one or two people and use contractors for the rest.
It was an Israeli airline. I can’t remember where, but it was in another article.
Glad they seem to be pro Palestine then!
I like him a lot and I really like the things he said in this interview. I agree it’s probably Emirates or Etihad (UAE) or Qatar Airways. Maybe Turkish Airlines, but Turkey has a lot of absolutely massive global celebs of their own whose reach are further than Hollywood celebs in many parts of the world, especially in the Global South. They’re all really good airlines from dodgy allies and they each have $35 million lying around to toss at a celebrity. He’s a sincerely conscientious celeb and I’m sure he’s also mindful of Amal’s human rights legal work and how such a brand partnership would look for her.
He’s charming and endearing. I like him. May he never let us down. 🙏🏻 (I can forgive a dumb comment here or there, that’s not what I mean.)
Agreed @Jessica with all of this. I’ve always liked him, and I feel like he has always owned who he is and what stage of life he was in. When he was in his “girlfriends” stage he wasn’t telling lies about wanting a family but when he found the woman he wanted to marry, he did. And now he genuinely talks about loving family life and what a good partnership he has with Amal (who, let’s face it, got a lot of undeserved crap because she’s beautiful, smart, and photogenic). I really like him and would be really upset if we ever hear a Chris Noth story about him. He’s one of the last men left that I would actually be surprised about.
Rande Gerber was sued for sexual harassment in 2009 for an incident that sounds similar to the most recent Chris Noth allegation and George defended him. George is/was close friends with Les Moonves from CBS who Ronan Farrow has written about. Which doesn’t make George an abuser but he has always painted himself as a guy who won’t stand for poor treatment of others and that may be true in some cases but I have a hard time believing these guys hid who they were from him.
I don’t know why celebrities are so attacked for hiring help. They don’t work normal hours/schedules so trying to run a household alone is pretty impossible. Besides George only said they have one nanny not that they don’t have any help. And I don’t know why people assume celebrities have 20+people on staff. That’s extremely expensive when you consider most aren’t extremely wealthy and share their income with managers and agents. I also believe they do have minimal staff. Not just because of the lockdowns and lack of work but George never striked me as the type of having a lot of staff.
I don’t think celebrities are attacked for hiring help. It makes sense to me that they would need help to keep all of ventures going. I don’t think it’s possible to be that level of successful without outsourcing help.
But I think the kind of phrasing celebrities use can make a difference in how people respond to their answers.
Eh, they kind of are. If a famous but disliked woman has a baby,expect comments like “Her and her army of nannies.”, “The help is gonna raise those kids” and “Like she’s really changing diapers.” It’s just assumed that she has a ton of staff, and that the staff is doing all the parenting and she’s judged negatively for it.
Well, yes, I think female celebrities are attacked.
But I notice the comments for George are much, much milder. Not sure if that’s because he’s male. In this particular instance, I find the comments aren’t very harsh towards him.
I don’t care about the staff of rich people who pay for their own staff themselves. Now the tax payer funded royals is another story. Especially the ones who don’t work anything close to part time hours. I
Exactly!!!!
Yeah no complaints. If I was rich and I had a couple of kids I would hire some help as well.
If I was wealthy I would hire childcare assistance too. As well as a housekeeper, just to come in once a week. And that’s all I would need to help me with my family life. If you have the money and helps with your daily life AND mental health then do it.
Hey at least he’s real about it. Doug Ross is my forever crush. ALSO rosemarys’ guest part on ER made me cry. I loved it so much. It was wonderful.
I don’t mean no shade but he’s talks about having a nanny 4 days a week as if he were nothing… 4 days a week, that’s huge help!
I love George!
Guess I’m ambivalent about this… he seems like he’s a white guy who is trying to show he’s better than 9 out of 10 other handsome white guys, but he still reveals his implicit biases.
As do most of the commenters on this site who instantly leap to Middle Eastern airlines… every single person, now matter how enlightened, has internal biases against certain groups. It’s not an easy one to deprogramme.
I hope and pray that this man doesn’t disappoint me. He’s a real person living a beautiful life and using his platform for good. And that Amal! So intelligent, not to mention stylish. Remember her wedding ensembles?! So chic.
Hi Baria!
I’ve kind of wondered about that. I imagine throughout the beginning of COVID, rich people probably had to do without the household help they usually have. I’d love to see a reality show about that LOL
No judgment – if I could afford it, I’d hire help.
But yeah, with COVID I don’t doubt he did have to make adjustments (although I doubt as much as his mother in 1964 – you can always have laundry sent out and groceries delivered when you have that kind of money)
A nanny four days a week is still a lot more than most people have.
He definitely funded casamigos with less than a mill. Think he and Randy and third guy put in like 500k each. No private equity up until acquisition though probably had a lot of consultants helping grow it. It was a tiny operation, just a hobby initially. 233 million (his third of the 700) isn’t bad at all. Also he can hire the best accountants and tax lawyers so doubt be paid the highest personal income tax rate. It would have been through a company structure which means lower taxes. They seem happy. Good for them. But I do believe George is bi, randomly.