George Clooney is at the Toronto Film Festival to promote the dark comedy Suburbicon, but as he whips out his phone to show off a photo of his three-month-old twins, daughter Ella and son Alexander, it's clear the filmmaker's mind is elsewhere.
"Today is the first time that I have been away from them since they have been born and my wife sends me pictures and I sit here thinking, 'God I wish I was with my kids'," he laments.
More Entertainment News Videos
- Video duration
- 00:48
George Clooney offers first description ...
George Clooney offers first description of children
The 56-year-old Oscar winner may not be ready to put his children on display for the world just yet but while doing publicity for his new movie, Suburbicon, he was compelled to at least offer up a description of them.
Up Next
Video trailer: Suburbicon
- Video duration
- 02:23
- Video duration
- 02:23
Video trailer: Suburbicon
Video trailer: Suburbicon
A new film from director George Clooney and starring Matt Damon, Suburbicon focuses on a quiet family town that becomes rattled after a home invasion.
Up Next
Stephen King's It kills box office records
- Video duration
- 01:04
- Video duration
- 01:04
Stephen King's It kills box office records
Stephen King's It kills box office records
The New Line and Warner Bros. adaptation of Stephen King's novel is officially shattering box office records during its opening weekend.
Up Next
Game of Thrones pirated more than a billion times
- Video duration
- 00:31
- Video duration
- 00:31
Game of Thrones pirated more than a ...
Game of Thrones pirated more than a billion times
The seventh season of Game of Thrones has been illegally downloaded or streamed more than one billion times.
Up Next
Entertainment news highlights
- Video duration
- 02:06
- Video duration
- 02:06
Entertainment news highlights
Entertainment news highlights
Another Star Wars director bites the dust; rumours begin to swirl that James Bond will be married in the next film and one of Sydney's most famous murals was painted over to promote a new Jennifer Lawrence film.
Up Next
Olivia Newton John admits her cancer battle fears
- Video duration
- 01:03
- Video duration
- 01:03
Olivia Newton John admits her cancer ...
Olivia Newton John admits her cancer battle fears
The iconic actor and performer has made her first Australian public appearance since her recent cancer diagnosis at the ONJ Gala in Melbourne.
Up Next
Disney confirms streaming plans for Marvel, Star Wars
- Video duration
- 00:43
- Video duration
- 00:43
Disney confirms streaming plans for ...
Disney confirms streaming plans for Marvel, Star Wars
The US studio Disney has moved to super-power its planned streaming platform, confirming today that its key Marvel and Lucasfilm franchises would move in-house.
George Clooney offers first description of children
The 56-year-old Oscar winner may not be ready to put his children on display for the world just yet but while doing publicity for his new movie, Suburbicon, he was compelled to at least offer up a description of them.
"But it's fun, it's nice to feel that way and be excited to get home to see them."
Clooney is also uncharacteristically gushy about family life. "I have such admiration for my wife, who is getting about two hours of sleep for intervals at night when she's not up breastfeeding these two knuckleheads," he says.
"I got lucky; I've got an incredible wife and two children that literally don't even care that I exist right now, because other than giving them a bottle every once in a while, everything is about Amal, but that's a beautiful sight to see."
Suburbicon is set in the 1950s and stars Matt Damon as a seemingly model father and husband who conspires to kill his wife (Julianne Moore) for insurance money to be with her twin sister (also played by Moore). As tension in the neighbourhood rises with the arrival of the first African American family, an insurance agent (Oscar Isaac) also shows up to investigate the claim and things quickly fall apart.
Clooney co-wrote the script with Joel and Ethan Coen and was inspired by a 1957 documentary about the first black family to move into a white neighbourhood in Pennsylvania.
"But we wanted this film to be funny and off-kilter, not 'eat your spinach'," he adds, "so someone gets hit by a fire engine."
Clooney is also happy to skewer his famously prank-filled friendship with his Oceans Eleven co-star Matt Damon.
"I enjoyed putting him on that f---ing bicycle and I made sure it was small enough so his knees would hit the handle bars," he says of one hilarious scene in which the character is forced to ride a child's bike.
"But what people don't get about Matt is that he's an incredibly versatile actor. He does the Bourne movies and kicks ass and then he can be a goofball in other movies which is rare for a leading man."
After dutifully hitting both Venice (with family) and Toronto Film Festival, Clooney is looking forward to some time off with his new arrivals.
"I am 56 years old, which is old to be doing this, like Tony Randall or something, and I thought my life was going to be focused on my career and not necessarily relationships so it's all icing on the cake," he acknowledges.
"I started so late, all I can do is play catch-up and hope that I'm not with a walker and cane chasing my kid around and switching diapers with him!"
Suburbicon opens in cinemas in November.