George Clooney, wife Amal obtain French citizenship

Hollywood star George Clooney and his wife, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, have obtained French citizenship, along with their two children, official French government documents show.

Clooney told broadcaster RTL earlier this month that it was essential for him and his wife that their eight-year-old twins Alexander and Ella could live in a place where they had a chance to live a normal life.

“Here, they don’t take photos of kids. There aren’t any paparazzi hidden at the school gates. That’s number one for us,” he told RTL on December 2.

The couple purchased a house on a vineyard, with an estimated value of around 9 million euros ($10.59 million), in the southern French town of Brignoles in 2021.

The property also includes a swimming pool and a tennis court, according to French media.

"We also have a house in the United States, but our happiest place is on this farm where the kids can have fun," he said.

US film director Jim Jarmusch on Friday told France Inter radio that he would also make an application to obtain French citizenship.

"I would like to have another place to escape from America if necessary," he told France Inter.

"And France, and Paris, and French culture are very deep in me. So I think I would be very honored if I could have a French passport," he said.