George Clooney makes shock announcement as Hollywood career is 'winding down'

Hollywood legend George Clooney has admitted that he is "winding down" his acting career for a very important reason. The 64-year-old Ocean's Eleven star made clear that chasing big projects is no longer a priority in his life, as he turns his attention to his family instead.

He told Fox's Extra: "I am not in that mad rush to succeed anymore. I have had my career in many ways and you know things were winding down in a way, so I get to be home with my kids a lot and it's fun. I'm still young enough that I can run around with them. That is going away quickly. But I can still do it right now. So I am having a really fun time." Speaking at the New York Film Festival premiere of his latest release Jay Kelly, the legendary actor also shared how his job had caused him to sacrifice with his children. He shares 8-year-old twins Alexander and Ella with wife Amal.

He said: "It certainly isn't just a showbiz experience. You probably have these same conversations and almost every industry has these conversations which is: 'I wish I hadn't missed this thing that my kids were doing when I was working.'

"It is coming to terms with the sacrifice you make to succeed in any business."

George married Amal in 2014 in a private ceremony in Venice, Italy. The event was small and attended by a few of the couple's friends. Soon after, he became a dad but he prefers to keep his children out of the limelight.

Amal previously told Glamour: "I would say becoming a parent means you're more troubled by some of the intrusions. So we do the best we can to minimize any impact on our children. We don't put our children out there, we've never put their photo out there or anything like that."

She added: "Creating private moments and spaces is becoming increasingly difficult. But that's also why we entertain a lot at home. I now have a phone basket that I use to take everyone's phones away!

"It's important to get that balance where you have time alone with your family and with your friends where people feel like you can have a safe and frank exchange."