- George Clooney shared that a motivating factor for his activist work is his family.
- The actor made an appearance on the "WTF with Marc Maron" podcast on Monday.
- He said he'd be "humiliated" if his kids questioned him in the future over being uninvolved.
George Clooney is a father who wants to have a legacy rooted in activism — and a legacy that'll make his kids proud.
The Academy Award winner made an appearance on Monday's episode of the "WTF with Marc Maron" podcast, where Moran asked Clooney about his role as an activist.
Clooney discussed how growing up a child of the 1960s and early '70s provided several causes, such as the women's rights movement and civil rights movement, to be actively involved in "as my parents were," he said.
"My father's one mantra was to always challenge anyone in power and always defend anyone without power," he said. "And if you do that in life, you win."
Clooney, who shares 4-year-old twins Ella and Alexander with his wife, Amal Clooney, also attributes his activism work to his kids and how they'll look back at this time in history.
"I'd be so embarrassed if my kids in 20 years look back at this moment in time and said 'you were okay with this and you didn't stand up and say something?'" Clooney said. "I'd be humiliated by that."
The "Tender Bar" director previously opened up about how being involved in activism was something instilled by his parents during an interview for his feature in People magazine's "Person of the Year" 2020 issue.
"You had to be involved," Clooney told People of his early life. "My mother and father were involved, and we were [taught] it is your civic duty... I remember my father saying, 'Don't come back and look me in the eye unless you stand up to [bullies and racists].' I'm glad to have been raised that way."
The actor's marriage shares the same values. Amal Clooney is an international human rights lawyer. Together, the couple cofounded the Clooney Foundation for Justice which fights for justice against human-rights violations around the world.