George Clooney: Amal is ‘the smart one’ in our marriage

Amal Alamuddin may have been absent from Monday’s SeriousFun Children’s Network Gala at Avery Fisher Hall, but her husband, George Clooney, still gave her a shout- out from the stage, calling her the “smart one” in their marriage.

While human rights lawyer Amal is working on a case, Clooney — who is in New York for a few months making a movie — paid tribute to Paul Newman, who founded the camp for sick children, explaining that the program has expanded in the U.S. and beyond.

“Since 1988 these camps have brought over a half a million sick kids and their families from over five . . . ” he said, stumbling over the number, then continuing, “from over 50 countries, 500 countries would be too many. There aren’t actually that many.”

Adding, “My wife’s the smart one.”

Also there were Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Danny DeVito, Carole King and Natalie Cole.

David Letterman got in a dig at Clooney saying he saw him backstage and “He’s not that handsome.”

On Tuesday, Clooney was spotted dining with Bill Murray at Greek seafood restaurant Taverna Kyclades in Astoria in New York.

Clooney is in town filming “Money Monster,” co-starring Julia Roberts and Dominic West.

Jodie Foster is directing the film, in which Clooney plays a Jim Cramer-like TV host held hostage on air by a disgruntled viewer who lost money on a bad tip.