George Clooney is well aware that he wasn’t up to Amal Clooney’s lofty standards when the two got married – and joked about it during his latest interview with Page Six.
“Yes, and I still do [think that],” the actor replied, when asked if he felt like he were “punching above” his weight with Amal.
The “Ocean’s Eleven” star, who we spoke to at a special screening of “The Boys in the Boat” at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, went on to say that he believes that’s a common understanding.
“Everyone would say the same thing,” he said with a laugh.
George, 62, married Amal Alamuddin in September 2014, later welcoming twins Ella and Alexander in 2017.
Amal, 45, is an accomplished barrister who has held various appointments with the UK government and the United Nations. She’s also an adjunct professor of law at Columbia Law School.
Together, the power couple co-founded a human rights organization, the Clooney Foundation for Justice, in 2016.
As for George, his latest movie – which he directed – is based on the true story of the 1936 Olympic US rowing team that competed in the Berlin Olympics and triumphed over incredible odds.
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It’s based on the best-selling non-fiction book “The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics” by Daniel James Brown.
“I like Depression-era stories,” the “ER” alum told Page Six of what drew him to the project, noting that his parents are also “from that exact same” time period.
“The idea [that] these guys needed to do it as opposed to wanting to do it,” he continued.
“And I like the idea that somehow along the way they ended up being the greatest rowers in the world when they were just lumberjacks, which is kind of cool.”
George shared that learning about the rowers’ struggles made him reflect on how to instill that drive to succeed within his own children.
“It’s a concern [and] I think every parent has the same concern,” he explained. “Make sure that they understand how difficult … and struggling is a big part of learning, so yes, it’s always a question, that will be the great challenge of parenting.”
“The Boys in the Boat” hits theaters on Christmas Day.
