Clooney, 65, Jokes About Aging Before Award

joked about his age upon hearing he would be honored with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 83rd , which runs September 2–12 in .

'I've had so many extraordinary moments in Venice,' the 65-year-old actor-director said in the press release Monday.

'This festival is without question my favorite and to be given the Golden Lion is a tremendous honor. It also probably means I'm old, but I'll take it.'

The festival's artistic director Alberto Barbera credited his decision to celebrate Clooney's four-decade career to his 'triple capacity as actor, director and producer.'

'George Clooney is a complete and charismatic artist, impassioned and original, who has transformed a deep vocation into one of the most luminous parabolas of contemporary film,' Barbera added.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the Jay Kelly producer-star's rep for comment, but did not immediately hear back.

Past movie star recipients of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement include Orson Welles, Charlie Chaplin, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Warren Beatty, Sophia Loren, Jerry Lewis, Clint Eastwood, Jane Fonda, Robert Redford, Julie Andrews, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Lee Curtis, Catherine Deneuve and Sigourney Weaver.

Clooney previously won Academy Awards in 2006 for acting in Syriana and in 2013 for producing Argo.

The Kentucky-born silver fox took home four Golden Globe Awards for his acting work in O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), Syriana (2005) and The Descendants (2011) as well the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2015.

'I've had so many extraordinary moments in Venice,' the 65-year-old actor-director said in the press release Monday. 'This festival is without question my favorite and to be given the Golden Lion is a tremendous honor. It also probably means I'm old, but I'll take it' (pictured February 7)