George and Amal Clooney might choose to keep their children out of the spotlight, but the couple have shared the occasional anecdotes from their life as parents of their seven-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella, including how their kids have begun asking their dad questions about fame.
The Ocean's Eleven actor has often said he wants to shield them from the publicity that comes from his Hollywood acting and directing career.
Still, their quest for privacy began long before Alexander and Ella came into their lives.
© Taylor HillGeorge, 63, and Amal, 46, were at the centre of pregnancy rumours in late 2016 and early 2017 before the news of their expecting twins was confirmed in the most unexpected way.
Take a look back at their pregnancy story and birth announcement…
The Clooneys' unexpected pregnancy announcement
Rather than releasing an official statement confirming that Amal was expecting twins, close friend and fellow actor Matt Damon was in fact the one to reveal that George and his wife were set to welcome two little bundles of joy.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight Canada in February 2017, four months before Amal gave birth to Alexander and Ella, the Bourne Ultimatum actor shared how George had told him about the good news in late 2016 while they were filming the movie, Surbicon.
© Elisabetta A. VillaGeorge had confided in his good friend and told Matt when his wife was only eight weeks pregnant.
"I was working with him last fall and he pulled me aside on set and, I mean, I almost started crying," Matt explained to the news outlet. "I was so happy for him. And I was like, 'How far along is she?' And he goes, 'Eight weeks'.
"I said, 'Are you out of your mind? Don't tell anybody else! Don't tell anybody else! Don't you know the 12-week rule?' Of course, he doesn't. I was like, 'Just shut up, man'."
Matt, who is a father to four daughters with his wife Luciana Barroso, added: "I'm thrilled for him. [Amal is] amazing. He hit the jackpot. Just on every level. She is a remarkable woman. They're going to be great.
"They're going to be awesome parents. Those kids are lucky."
© Getty ImagesGeorge and Amal confirm the arrival of Alexander and Ella
To confirm the joyous news that their babies had safely arrived, George and Amal released an official statement to the world. Though the news was shared in a typical way, the pair injected George's quick wit and sense of humour into the statement.
It read: "This morning Amal and George welcomed Ella and Alexander Clooney into their lives. Ella, Alexander and Amal are all healthy, happy and doing fine. George is sedated and should recover in a few days."
© Clemens BilanAmal gave birth to her two children on 6 June 2017 at St Mary's Hospital in London, where the Prince and Princess of Wales gave birth to all three of their children.
Alexander and Ella Clooney were born a month before their due date, and per an interview between George and The Hollywood Reporter later that year, Alexander was born weighing five-and-a-half pounds, one minute and 49 seconds before his sister arrived, weighing four-and-a-half pounds.
Shortly before Amal gave birth, George joked he wanted to name the twins after his tequila brand. "My wife says I can't name them Casa and Amigos. That's the one thing I'm not allowed to do."
The Clooneys' shielded family life
Since becoming parents, George and Amal have kept their children away from public events and they have never been photographed.
Not only that, but the whole family spends a lot of time at their homes keeping themselves to themselves.
© GettyThe Clooneys have a home in Sonning Eye in the British countryside as well as a Chateau in the south of France. Both of these properties afford them the ability to go about their daily lives without being disturbed by locals, who are quite used to their A-listers' presence.
MORE: George and Amal Clooney's eye-watering property empire worth millions
In a recent interview with GQ, George reiterated how important it was to them that Alexander and Ella are protected. The two-time Oscar winner explained that in more high-profile areas, for example, New York, they have to be more vigilant.
© Getty"There's never been that like, 'Hey, let's take a walk through Central Park and not get hammered.' It just hasn’t happened yet. I have a goal of trying to protect, I don't want pictures of my kids.
"We deal in very serious subject matters, with very serious bad guys, and we don't want to have photos of our kids out there. So we have to work hard at trying to stay private, and it's tricky, as you can imagine."
