Amal and George Clooney FaceTime often to keep close

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- George Clooney and wife Amal Clooney keep their romance alive by communicating often when they're apart.

The 54-year-old actor opened up about his relationship with the 38-year-old human rights lawyer at the Los Angeles premiere of his new movie, Hail, Caesar!. Clooney and his wife married in September 2014, and are able to keep close despite their busy schedules.

"FaceTime, we'll do that. Mostly it's just try not to go very long," the actor explained to Extra. "We spend an awful lot of time together. We don't have huge gaps ... Between my work and her work and the things we're doing, we're able to manage it pretty well."

Clooney plays kidnapped movie star Baird Whitlock in Hail, Caesar!, which opens in theaters Friday. Filming and Amal's international clients often take the couple apart, and the actor expressed appreciation for his wife's understanding to People.

"I think she appreciates [my] work because one thing I think people never quite understand is when you're doing it, it is actually a lot of work and takes a long time to do," he said. "And because she's seen me working behind the camera a lot, she's seen that it's an ongoing process."

Clooney previously gushed about his wife to Entertainment Tonight, calling her "an amazing human being" and "one of the smartest people" he's met. The actor told E! News he has something special planned for Valentine's Day, but declined to say more about the surprise.

Hail, Caesar! is directed by the Coen brothers, and co-stars Josh Brolin, Ralph Fiennes and Scarlett Johansson. Clooney is also slated for the Jodie Foster-directed drama Money Monster with Julia Roberts.