In his 60s, George Clooney learns to savor every year

Two years ago, when he turned 60, George Clooney had a bit of an epiphany.

He turned to his wife, Amal, and said, “Knock wood, I’m healthy,” the A-list actor recalls. “Sixty hit me, and then I realized that I play tennis with guys half my age. I feel good. I have a wonderful family.

“And I framed aging this way: The next 20 years are halcyon. I need to celebrate each and every one of those years, feel them and just feel happy that I get to live this incredible life.”

Part of the incredible is life in Italy with his wife and 6-year-old twins Alexander and Ella. Clooney is also celebrating a few other big things this holiday season.

His latest directorial effort, “The Boys in the Boat,” opens Christmas Day and has been garnering Oscar talk.

Based on a bestselling book by Daniel James Brown, the inspirational tale is set at the height of the Great Depression, when a group of young men join the University of Washington rowing team. They wind up in the spotlight when they compete at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

The film stars Callum Turner, Joel Edgerton and Hadley Robinson. Remark to Clooney that it’s a wonderful cast and he jokes, “Everyone else was unavailable.”

Which brings the Kentucky native to his first bit of advice: Appreciate the power of laughter. “I’m a big believer that the secret to a happy life is a sense of humor. Try to find the laugh. It will make you less guarded. In fact, make fun of yourself before someone else tries it. It works for me.”

His other good life tips:

Accept the challenge

As a director, Clooney acknowledges that bringing a rowing story on the big screen can present a problem. “It’s a little like filming an F1 race in a way,” he says of “The Boys in the Boat.” “You can’t see speed from far back. You have to be up close. It doesn’t look as exciting when you’re watching them from far away. … It was also cold in that water. The look on my face wasn’t pain. It was fear! That’s the beauty of a challenge in life. When you figure it out, the result is even sweeter.”

Embrace the scrappy

The material appealed to Clooney because it was about so much more than rowing. “It’s about these scrappy guys working together. They’re poor. They row out of necessity, out of hunger, out of having nothing else. It was about survival,” he says. “We all need these kinds of inspiring stories to remember that scrappy side of all of us.”

Find common ground

Clooney says early screenings have resulted in “audiences screaming and standing up on chairs cheering.” He links that reaction to our current times. “This is a very polarized time in our country,” he says. “There is anger. Most people in our country and around the world want to get along. Most people want to live a normal life and raise their kids and have life go well. They want that for their neighbors as well.”

The Christmas release date was purposeful. “We felt like with this film talks about the idea that we’re all in this together,” Clooney adds. “And probably the only way we’re going to make it out intact is with one another, supporting one another.”

Know your limitations

If Clooney went to the Olympics which sport would he medal in? “Darts,” he says. Rowing is another story. His stay-healthy routine in his 60s includes Bikram yoga and tennis. He doesn’t play as much basketball these days; after sustaining a few injuries, Clooney found other athletic outlets. “You should switch it up with exercise,” he says.

Keep pushing

As for his film career, Clooney has had hits and misses at the box office. He takes life’s wins and losses in stride. “You succeed on certain things in life,” he says. “You fail on others. The important thing is to just keep slugging away.”

Treasured memories

Clooney was close with his aunt, famed singer Rosemary Clooney, who died in 2002. “Christmas was a big time for her,” he says of the beloved “White Christmas” star. “Each year for Christmas, she would send us a song on tape. Then one year, she sent a tape and said, ‘I’ve been doing this for 30 years, and I’ve run out of Christmas songs. So, she sang ‘Easter Parade.’ Isn’t that great!”

Important lessons

What does he want for his twins? “I want them happy. I want them to live a life with a lot of laughter,” Clooney says. “And I want to teach them to be interested in things while also being compassionate about other people.”

Maintain control (if possible)

“We did a really dumb thing, which is teach the kids to speak fluent Italian,” he shares. “Both were fluent at age 3. I don’t speak Italian, and neither does my wife. I’ll say, ‘Go clean up your room’ and hear an answer like, ‘Eh, papa.’ ”

Count your blessings

“I look at my family, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m lucky in my family life. Lucky in my career,” Clooney says. “I’m even surprised at this level of happiness.”