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George and Amal Clooney's Kids: Everything They've Said About Parenting

George Clooney and Amal Clooney attend "The Tender Bar" Premiere during the 65th BFI London Film Festival at The Royal Festival Hall on October 10, 2021 in London, England
George Clooney and Amal Clooney attend "The Tender Bar" Premiere during the 65th BFI London Film Festival at The Royal Festival Hall on October 10, 2021 in London, England

Samir Hussein/WireImage

George Clooney might have been one of Hollywood's most eligible bachelors at one point, but now he's a bonafide family man thanks to his wife, lawyer and philanthropist Amal Clooney.

"I didn't know how un-full [my life] was until I met Amal," the Midnight Sky actor told GQ of how he felt before meeting his wife. "And then everything changed. And I was like, 'Oh, actually, this has been a huge empty space.' " In the eight years since their Italian wedding in 2014, George and Amal have further filled that empty space — the couple welcomed twins Alexander and Ella in June 2017.

With his signature self-deprecation, George — who was 56 years old when the twins were born — regularly jokes about being an older first-time dad, calling fatherhood "something I never thought I would be doing." "All my friends are laughing at me and they think it's funny — I get it," he continued. "Fair enough, I gave them a hard enough time."

The Clooneys are very discerning about choosing work projects to ensure Alexander and Ella take priority. "I've committed to a certain amount of work that I'm going to do, making sure that I'm going to do that because it's a commitment and it's the right thing to do. And she's in the exact same place," George told PEOPLE in 2021.

While George and Amal mostly stayed hunkered down with the kids during the pandemic, the actor said they were looking forward to traveling again — and of course, hanging out as a family. "We have a house with a lake and a rope swing. I can still do the rope swing at 60," he joked.

A year earlier, George opened up to PEOPLE about how becoming a parent changed how he views the world. "In marriage, and now with the kids, you give away the selfishness of only looking out for yourself," he said. "It's a wonderful thing. Amal and I talk about it every day. We feel so lucky."

Learn all about George and Amal Clooney's two kids, Alexander and Ella, below.

Alexander Clooney, 5

Amal Clooney and George Clooney attend the American Film Institute's 46th Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute to George Clooney at Dolby Theatre on June 7, 2018 in Hollywood, California
Amal Clooney and George Clooney attend the American Film Institute's 46th Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute to George Clooney at Dolby Theatre on June 7, 2018 in Hollywood, California

Emma McIntyre/Getty

George and Amal welcomed their twins on June 6, 2017, at London's St. Mary's Hospital. Son Alexander came first, at 12:54 p.m. Though many Hollywood stars choose more unique names for their kids, the Clooneys specifically chose more classic, understated monikers for their twins.

"I didn't want, like, weird-ass names for our kids," George told AARP Magazine in 2021. "They're already going to have enough trouble. It's hard being the son of somebody famous and successful."

Now 5, Alexander is said to look just like his handsome father. "They're too beautiful, simply adorable," a source told PEOPLE in 2018. "One looks just like her mother and the other is the image of his father."

Since their twins were born, the Clooneys have been vocal about their distinct personalities. Alexander seems to be the more outgoing sibling, a fact that was proven when he crashed his dad's interview with GQ in 2021. He also has a funny side, with George sharing on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast that his morning routine with Alexander makes him "laugh out loud." ​

"Alexander every morning, eight in the morning, bangs on my bedroom door," he explained. "I go, 'Who is it?' And he goes, 'It is I, Alexander Clooney.' "

Alexander, like many young boys, also loves cars — an obsession that can sometimes be dangerous. "He goes outside and he hugs my car. 'Car!' and he hugs it," George said on the Ellen Show in 2019. "Which is bad when I'm driving. It's really not good. He gets right in the wheel well," he joked.

Ella Clooney, 5

George Clooney and his wife Amal Clooney arrive at the premiere of Paramount Pictures' "Suburbicon" at the Village Theatre on October 22, 2017 in Los Angeles, California
George Clooney and his wife Amal Clooney arrive at the premiere of Paramount Pictures' "Suburbicon" at the Village Theatre on October 22, 2017 in Los Angeles, California

Kevin Winter/Getty

Ella was born two minutes after Alexander at London's St. Mary's Hospital on June 6, 2017. Just as her brother got his looks from their dad, Ella looks just like her mom. "My daughter looks exactly like Amal," George told PEOPLE a few months after her birth in 2017. "She has big beautiful eyes … It's incredible."

Unlike her brother, Ella is fairly reserved. "Ella is very shy around adults," George told PEOPLE in 2020. George gave even more insight into Ella's personality in a 2021 interview with The Guardian, saying, "Alexander loves to laugh and Ella's very serious, always making sure everybody plays by the rules."

However, it seems like Ella is also a bit of a prankster. "My whole job, really, is to teach them terrible things," George joked to ET. "My daughter has now picked up the mantle. She used to think it was really gross, all the things we did, but then she saw how many laughs Alexander got and now she's taken it up, too."

And while Alexander has taken a liking to cars, Ella is a little fashionista. "My daughter is up in my wife's closet with purses going, 'Mine!' " George told Ellen DeGeneres in 2019. "So I see this is going to be a fun, fun life for me."

Though the twins are developing their own personalities, George is focused on soaking up all the time he can while his kids still think he's cool. The Ticket to Paradise star was honored at the 2022 Kennedy Center Honors, and talked with Extra about what his kids thought of the accolade.

"They're 5, so right now, I am golden," he said with a laugh.

Added Amal, "They say, 'Papa can fix everything but the weather. He can solve all of their problems and is the funniest person they have met."