George Clooney Opens Up on Sister's Death: "We Have to Find Nothing But Joy"

George Clooney is reflecting on mortality after the death of his older sister, Adelia "Ada" Zeidler, opening up about the moment that changed how he sees time itself.

Speaking at a Master Class following his Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival, the actor recalled being at his sister's bedside when she died from cancer last December at age 65.

"My sister, who I was very close to, got cancer last year and she died very quickly," Clooney said. "I was with her when she died. And there was this feeling, being with her, holding her hand when she died, understanding how brief all of this is."

He described the years between childhood and that final moment collapsing into an instant. "It was minutes ago that she and I were little kids together; minutes ago we were holding hands as little kids," he said. "Time goes fast. All of this. And so we have to find nothing but joy."

Zeidler, an elementary art teacher and National Merit Scholar from Augusta, Kentucky, died at St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Edgewood, Kentucky, on December 19. Clooney called her "my hero" in a statement at the time, praising the courage and humor she brought to her cancer battle.

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