Doting dad! James Marsden’s life is in the spotlight, but his time with his three children, Jack, Mary and William, always takes center stage.
“It’s one of the things I’m most proud of,” the Disenchanted actor told ABC News in February 2014 of being a father. “Work is difficult because you’ve got to spend time away from home, but it’s always nice to come back and not have to do anything, just spend time with them.”
The Dead to Me alum became a parent in February 2001 when he and then-wife Lisa Linde welcomed their son Jack. The pair expanded their family in August 2005 with the birth of daughter Mary James. Marsden and Linde called it quits in 2011 and the Notebook actor moved on with Brazilian model Rose Costa.
The former Westworld star found himself back on baby duty in December 2012 when his and Costa’s son, William Luca, was born. His relationship with Costa, meanwhile, fizzled out before they welcomed their little one.
“Once you become a father … it’s like riding a bike,” Marsden told ABC News of his shift back to parenting a baby. “Once you learn it, you sort of got it.”
However, the Hairspray actor joked that while his career in Hollywood is a pull for fans, his older kids don’t think much of it.
“Now that they are of age, it’s a little more fun for them,” Marsden told the outlet. “But they are still kind of wonderfully underwhelmed by what I do. I wouldn’t have it any other way. They think it’s cool but beyond that, I’m just still dad.”
Three years later, the 27 Dresses star’s son Jack saw firsthand what it was like being famous when he was his dad’s plus one for the 2017 Screen Actor’s Guild Awards. “My time’s over, my time’s done. I’m literally passing the baton on to the next,” Marsden said while walking the red carpet with his son, who was 16 at the time, hinting that Jack wanted to be in showbiz.
The Critics Choice Awards winner noted that no matter what Jack decided to do for a career, he “doesn’t need much advice” from his father. “I actually go to him for advice,” Marsden told E! News. “He’s got his head on straight.”
The Party Down actor once again gushed over how wonderful his kids are while celebrating Father’s Day with all three in June 2019. “My favorite holiday of the year celebrates what I am proud of most in life. Being a father,” he wrote via Instagram. “To my Dad, to all the great Dads, who are with us now or were once lovingly with us, Happy Father’s day!”
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Scroll down to see Marsden’s sweetest family moments:
