George Clooney turns 65 next month, but he’s ready to embrace a less frenetic lifestyle to focus on philanthropy.
Speaking to Page Six on Monday at the 51st Annual Chaplin Awards Gala at Lincoln Center, he explained that he will now be “doing more work” on the Justice Clooney Foundation, which he founded with his wife Amal Clooney.
He also said he plans to collaborate with the Los Angeles Roybal Film and Television School, which aims to build a “more inclusive pipeline” for underrepresented students interested in careers in film and television.
He clarified, “I’m not chasing a career anymore, so I’m going to do something that I think is more fulfilling.”
The “Ocean’s Eleven” actor added that working on personal projects “helps in a way because it allows me to spend more time on things that are important to me…and that’s my focus.”
But he has no plans to stop appearing in Hollywood forever, saying, “If I get a good role, I’ll take it!”
George, who was being honored at a prestigious gala for his significant contribution to the art of cinema, confessed that he was a bit fed up with the events.
“I think any person you know who has a certain amount of integrity feels embarrassed when someone stands up and praises you,” he told us. “I think that’s a little embarrassing.”
The Oscar winner admitted it was a little surreal to go from playing a love interest in “The Facts of Life” to being a Lincoln Center honoree.
“The idea that you can be on a show that you’ve been on and then continue your career is mind-blowing, right?” he says modestly.
George, who attended the event with his wife, struggled for years in sitcoms and failed pilots before making a successful transition to the big screen with a breakout hit with “ER.”
George and Amal married in Venice in 2014. Three years later, twins Alexander and Ella were born.
