George Clooney is a respectable actor with two Academy Awards and a reputation as Hollywood's most suave leading man, but at the dinner table, he is simply the punchline. The 64-year-old actor shared how his eight-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella, have developed a sophisticated method of rebellion: a language barrier.
According to the Jay Kelly star, his twins with wife Amal Clooney are fluent in French and Italian, which he never bothered to learn. So, now he is reaping the consequences as the youngsters have successfully turned the household power dynamic on its head.
George Clooney and the Language Barrier
George Clooney appeared on The Capital Evening Show with Jimmy Hill on Tuesday and shared the hilarious reality of raising multilingual children. George and Amal allowed their children to become fluent in Italian and French, but he didn't take the time to learn any of the languages. Now, the twins are reportedly using it against him by savagely mocking him in Italian.
'I sit there like an idiot,' Clooney joked as he recounted the time when Ella and Alexander savagely mocked him in words he couldn't comprehend. According to Clooney, everyone with them at the time spoke fluent French, and he didn't even understand English, so he knew he was 'already in trouble.'
'They rip on me right in front of me, and I look at them going "what did you say?" and "what are you talking about?"' Clooney shared. 'And my wife understands, and the rest of the family gets it, and I just sit there like an idiot.'
The host jokingly asked Clooney if they were 'bullying' him and the celebrity dad responded by asking if he had children. Hill said he had no kids and Clooney responded with a hilarious quip, saying, 'When you have children, you'll see that they are little, but they are evil. They're rotten to the core,' before warning, 'and they can break you.'
George and Amal's 'Terrible Mistake'
It's not the first time Clooney has seemingly hinted at regretting teaching their children a language they do not use. In a 2022 interview with CBS Mornings, he shared that it was a 'terrible mistake' that he and his wife agreed to teach Ella and Alexander Italian.
'We've made a terrible mistake,' Clooney shared. 'We taught them Italian, but we don't speak Italian. So, we've armed them with a language that they can harm us with.'
Amal agreed with her husband. However, the human rights lawyer may have studied the language, because in Clooney's recent interview three years later, he said that his 'wife understands' and that it was only he who couldn't comprehend the twins when they spoke Italian.
Amal and George Clooney are celebrating their eighth wedding anniversary.
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) September 28, 2022
They told @GayleKing about the letters George wrote to Amal in the early days of their relationship, their son’s pranking skills and the one thing they’ve never done. pic.twitter.com/61NuGzPuJJ
From a Leading Man to Fatherhood
Marrying Amal and building a family with her has significantly altered Clooney's perspective on his career and his public image. He has become increasingly candid about how fatherhood has reshaped his daily priorities, often choosing to step back from major film projects to remain present for his children's milestones.
The Wolfs star was already 56 when he and Amal welcomed their twins. At the time, Clooney had already established his career and reputation in Hollywood, so it's now easy for him to say 'no' to projects and prioritise his family life.
'But look, it's easier for me. I had kids very late and so I could spend more time with them. But when you're young? That's hard,' he explained, noting that the timing was perfect for him.
Even if he works less, Clooney enjoys the mundane aspects of parenting, including driving the twins to school. Aside from being a good dad, Clooney has a self-imposed 'marriage rule.' The actor announced that he's no longer doing on-screen kisses in his movies, as he planned to follow the footsteps of American icon Paul Newman, known for his charitable and cinematic work.
'I've been trying to go the route Paul Newman did: "OK, well, I'm not kissing a girl anymore,"' Clooney told Daily Mail.
