George Clooney Didn’t Want Kids For Years: How ‘ER’ Actor Became Doting Dad Of Amal Clooney’s Twins

George Clooney famously had no desire for kids for years, emphasizing his determination to stay childless in multiple interviews. But when he married Amal, the world soon learned that love can conquer anything, even Clooney’s hesitation about becoming father. Now, even as George and Amal are settling into life as the parents of twins, some still are questioning what caused Clooney to become a first-time dad at 56.

When George made his sexy presence known on TV as the caring pediatrician in ER, he soon became known as a determined celebrity bachelor, with an ever-changing flock of women. Clooney served as People‘s Sexiest Man Alive cover model on two occasions. But now the Oscar-winning actor is adding a new title to his long list of credits: Parent of twins with his wife Amal, reported the Washington Post.

Amal, a human rights attorney, and George, famed for acting, directing, and producing as well as working as an activist, have shared the names of their brand-new babies, Ella and Alexander. But what they haven’t shared is the looming question of precisely what persuaded Clooney to take on the role of fatherhood.

Previously, Clooney had gone to great lengths in interviews to emphasize that he had no plans to become a father.

“I don’t see myself ever having kids.”

With his silvery hair and frequent grin, George has faced repeated insistence from his acting peers through the years that he should settle down, along with the ever-present questions in interviews about when or whether he would become a father. And now that Clooney and Amal are parents, the question of what or who finally persuaded him to become a dad remains, particularly after so many interviews for so many years that included George’s insistence that he didn’t want kids.

All the way up to his marriage proposal to Amal in April 2014, Clooney was questioned about if he viewed the bachelor life as his ultimate dream. But after George and Amal tied the knot that September, a new image started to emerge of the once-determined-to-stay-childless celebrity. Prior to that, Clooney sought different ways to express his view that he wouldn’t have kids.

“I don’t have that gene that people have to replicate.”

When George played a father onscreen, he expressed frustration at questions about how he related to the role of fatherhood without being a dad.

“Well, I’m also not running for president, but I played that role in Ides of March,” he pointed out. “I wasn’t an actual lawyer when I did Michael Clayton, and I don’t fire people for a living like I did in Up in the Air.”

In response to a question about why George had not tied the knot and become the proud father of a flock of kids, he stated that he had never “had aspirations in that way, ever.” Clooney also responded to those who contended that it was odd for a man in his 50s to be unmarried and without children.

“What do you do? Should I go, ‘I got to get me some kids right now!’ and rush out and impregnate someone?” asked George.

Clooney seemed to stay determined not to get married again or to have children, even repeating his distaste for getting married again or having kids just three months before his proposal to Amal.

“I keep saying I’ll never get married again or have children but people just don’t want to believe me.”

However, Clooney has company when it comes to celebrities waiting to have children until they’re older. At 67, comedian Steve Martin took fatherhood seriously, while Elton John waited until he was 63 to have a baby via a surrogate.

As for how his peers who had children themselves long before George are reacting to the news that their celebrity pal has become a dad, actress Tilda Swinton is outspoken about her amusement. Swinton revealed that her buddy George used to tease her about looking tired from getting up throughout the night when her own children, Xavier and Honor, were babies, reported the Hamilton Spectator.

But now that her children are nine-years-old, the actress is enjoying the chance to mock Clooney.

“I have twins myself and [George] always used to laugh about me looking so tired when the twins were small, and now I have the last laugh,” she explained.

However, Clooney’s pal Salma Hayek, mom of a nine-year-old daughter, has faith in Amal to help George survive parenthood.

“I have no advice because his wife is Lebanese like me and I know his mother-in-law and his sister-in-law and I know those kids cannot be in better hands,” declared Salma.

[Featured Image by Clemens Bilan/Getty Images]