Twin delight was icing on the cake for Hollywood star George Clooney

GEORGE CLOONEY has never had a problem smiling for the cameras, but his problem now is being able to stop smiling, since he became the dad of twins recently.

He was the man who had everything, now he’s the man who has everything plus two lovely kids with wife Amal.

George has not said much since the birth of Alexander and Ella, but he was clearly looking forward to becoming a dad.

“I was very happy Amal and I were married and I didn’t think life could get much better than that,” he said.

“When I knew that a baby was on the way, it was a real thrill. Then when we heard that we were going to have twins — wow! We wanted children and we sure got them.”

They sure did. Mother and babies were doing well and they still are now, of course, back home in Sonning in Berkshire, not far from Royal Windsor, one of several homes the Clooneys have around the world.

George believes that the twins are the icing on his very special cake, a cake that began to be baked back in May, 1951, in Kentucky when he became the new arrival for Nick and Nina, his mum and dad.

It was never going to be a simple life.

“When you have a TV presenter for a father and a beauty queen for a mother, it’s a pretty good guess you’re going to do something a little different with your own life,” said George.

“I guess when Rosemary Clooney is your aunt and you see her appearing in White Christmas with Bing Crosby, something rubs off.

“I love seeing it, by the way, and I still play it as part of our traditional Christmas.”

George’s early working years were far from glamorous. He liked the idea of being a professional sportsman and of following his family’s route into show business, but things were not that simple.

“I was a keen basketball and baseball player and I thought I might have a chance at baseball,” he said.

“I was a fan of the Cincinatti Reds and I had to try to hit the mark with them. They gave me a chance, but I didn’t get very far.

“It was disappointing, but I was a realist and knew I didn’t really make the grade.

“I wasn’t sure what to do after that. I didn’t have any money and hardly went out with my pals because I couldn’t pay my way.

“I thought I might make it as a broadcasting journalist and I qualified at Northern Kentucky University, but even that didn’t happen.

“I took various jobs to try to make a little cash — I used to do shelf-stacking in stores, sold insurance, did some labouring, cut tobacco leaves and even sold women’s shoes.

“All the time, I also liked the idea of maybe getting into acting. I was thrilled when I got a job as an extra in a TV mini-series called Centennia.

“Other parts came along, but they were not regular. To improve my ablity, I studied with the Beverley Hills Playhouse, an acting school.

“I still had high hopes, but I didn’t become really successful until I was in my 30s.

“It is fair to say my big break was in ER.

“I never forget the fact that if it was not for being in ER, I probably wouldn’t have the career I’ve enjoyed.

“You need breaks and I got one. ER was great to work on and I still have very fond memories.

“Some people think you’re not a real actor if you have come from a TV show, so I always tried to push the limits in the movies that followed to show what I could do.

“If you are successful, you become flavour of the month, but it doesn’t usually last forever.

“Most actors have a shelf life of about 10 years at the top, then people get a bit sick of seeing you.

“You start playing parts in which you are more of a ‘special guest star’. It’s a good thing to have a job to fall back on and I enjoy directing.”

Work, however, is probably not the most-important thing on George’s mind at the moment now that he’s a family man, something he never thought would really happen.

But he’ll make a great dad as he cares about many things and does, of course, enjoy a laugh.

“You have to have a sense of humour,” he said. “You must never take yourself too seriously.

“If you start believing all the things said about you, you’ll stop being yourself and that’s not a good idea.

“I’m more interested in others. How we treat the world around us and how we treat each other is a concern to me.

“I like to try to make some sort of difference. That is probably one of the reasons I’ve adopted my dogs.”

George has certainly made a difference to the lives of Millie, Einstein and Louie.

Millie is a bassett hound, Einstein and Louie are both cocker spaniels.

All three were rescue dogs and became part of the Clooney family. George didn’t stop there, though, as he found a home for another dog with his parents.

“When my mum and dad had to have their dog put to sleep, they were really traumatised and said they would never have another one,” George explained.

“Their house seemed empty without a dog, though, so I adopted another one for them. I think they were a bit surprised, but now they are very happy to have another dog around.”

George has been named Sexiest Man in the World, Best Dressed Man of the Year and has received countless other awards, but he has always kept his feet on the ground.

Away from film sets, he likes to relax with a beer, but he also has a liking for motorbikes and speedboats.

“I like the feeling of freedom,” he said. “It isn’t always easy to get that feeling when you are well known.

“Everywhere you go, people put the red carpet down for you, take you to private areas of restaurants and treat you as if you are something special.

“That is nice, of course. When people take trouble to be nice, there is no way you can’t appreciate it.

“At the end of the day, though, I’m just a regular guy and quite happy to take my place in the restaurant alongside everyone else.”