‘It’s the place we are happiest’: George Clooney and family become French
‘My kids have a much better life [and] speak perfect French’, the Hollywood star says
The family bought a property, the Domaine du Canadel, in Brignoles, Var, in 2021
Lev radin/Shutterstock
American actor George Clooney, his wife – British-Lebanese lawyer Amal Alamuddin Clooney – and their eight-year-old twins have obtained French nationality.
Their naturalisation was confirmed in a decree in the Journal Officiel on December 27.
The family bought a property, the Domaine du Canadel, in Brignoles, Var (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur) in 2021, and now spends much of the year in the country. The couple’s twins, Alexander and Ella, attend school in France.
Mr Clooney, age 64 – who is best known for his roles in the US TV show ER, the Ocean’s films, and his Oscar-winning turn in 2005’s Syriana – has said that he loves the country for the culture and privacy.
“I love French culture, your language…even though I am still just as bad [at French] after 400 days of lessons. It’s harder to learn when you’re old,” he said to RTL earlier in December.
“Here, they don't take photos of kids. There aren't any paparazzi hidden at the school gates. That's number one for us. That was really the main reason [for the move].
“It’s the place where we are happiest,” he added, saying that his children are able to play on the couple’s “farm” (thought to have some 172 hectares of land, a vineyard, a swimming pool, and a tennis court), which reminds him of “what I was able to do when I was young in Kentucky".
“We live on a farm in France,” Mr Clooney told Esquire magazine in October. “A good portion of my life growing up was on a farm, and as a kid I hated it.
“But now, for [the twins], it’s like – they’re not on their iPads, they have dinner with grownups and have to take their dishes in. They have a much better life. I was worried about raising our kids in LA, in the culture of Hollywood. France – they kind of don’t [care] about fame.”
Mr Clooney has said that his wife and children speak “perfect French” and “speak French in front of me so they can say terrible things about me to my face”.
Low profile
Following the actor’s positive comments, his fellow Brignoles residents said that his views were “a real compliment to the town”.
“I’m not surprised he loves it here – it’s stunning countryside, lots of fresh air, and he doesn’t need bodyguards. People leave him alone,” said Elaine Arnold, a Briton who has lived in the town for more than four years.
The family tends to keep a low profile when in France, but do take part in some local events. For example, in November 2024, Clooney attended the inauguration of the Cinéma Liberté, and chatted to locals about the US elections.
The couple also donated €20,000 to help flood victims in nearby Le Val in early 2025.
Didier Brémond, mayor of Brignoles, has publicly welcomed the family to the community, describing them as “gracious and respectful neighbours.”
Other Hollywood stars to have lived in France include Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Vanessa Paradis, who raised their children in the country; and Angelina Jolie and her ex-husband Brad Pitt.
Estate agents in Nice and the Cote d’Azur said earlier this year that there was a significant increase in Americans buying property in the southeast of France. Many cite the election of President Trump as a major contributing factor.
