Al Pacino having become a father again at 83 proved that in Hollywood, there isn’t any age limit to parenthood. More and more stars are becoming fathers in their 60s, 70s, and even 80s, beating old conventions about when family life should start or stop. This trend isn’t just about headlines; it’s changing the way people think about parenting later in life.
These celebrity dads talk about the joys, challenges, and even unexpected life lessons that come with raising kids at an age when many of their friends are already grandparents. Their stories relate not only to the emotional rewards but also the unique dynamics involved in balancing seasoned wisdom with energetic young kids.
1. Kelsey Grammer’s Second Chance at Fatherhood
Kelsey Grammer, 70, has just welcomed his eighth child, Christopher, with wife Kayte Walsh. Raising the younger kids, he says, helps him reconnect with his older children from previous relationships. Grammer tells People, “I have neglected a couple of the kids in my life. I’m trying to make up for a little of it now.” He considers being an older dad a rare chance to “try it again,” bringing more clarity and patience to parenting than he did when he was younger.
2. Al Pacino at 83: A New Energy
Roman, the youngest son of Al Pacino, joined him in 2023 when the Oscar-winning actor turned 83 years old. “I want to be around for this child,” Pacino told the BBC. “I hope I stay healthy, and he knows who his dad is.” Roman is the addition to three adult children for Pacino, hence a family spanning decades for the actor. Pacino is newly motivated toward staying active and present due to his late-in-life fatherhood.
3. Robert De Niro’s Joy in the Moment
In 2023, at 79 years old, Robert De Niro welcomed his seventh child, a daughter named Gia, born to him and girlfriend Tiffany Chen. As he told Rolling Stone, when he looks at her, “everything else goes away.” He’s working on teaching her English and Chinese, a melding of cultural heritage and personal connection. More than 50 years separate his oldest and youngest children, but De Niro approaches the challenge with equanimity.
4. Mick Jagger’s Laissez-Faire Parenting Style
The Rolling Stones frontman welcomed his eighth child, Deveraux, in 2016 at age 73. Jagger has related to The Guardian that fatherhood later in life is “not like riding a bike”, and he’d had to get back into practice. Having raised children ranging from their 50s to single digits, he’s learned to be more relaxed, encouraging each of their unique interests and enjoying the extra time lockdown gave him with his youngest.
5. Richard Gere’s Storytime Bond
At 70, Richard Gere became a father of a son named James with his wife Alejandra Silva back in 2020. Silva described Gere to Elle España as “a very dedicated and present” father, mainly because he especially loves reading to their kids. In Spain, the rhythm of later fatherhood is slower, which Gere seems to enjoy-perfectly balancing his international career with cozy moments around the family hearth.
6. Billy Joel’s All-Girls Club
Billy Joel, in his 70s now, had daughters Della Rose and Remy Anne in his 60s with his wife Alexis Roderick. Joel has shared with People it “means a lot” to be a father as he grew up without one. Having younger daughters is “poetic justice” according to Joel, who has the chance to be really involved and experience the family life he always wanted.
7. Steve Martin’s Perfect Timing
When Steve Martin’s wife, Anne Stringfield, gave birth to their daughter Mary, he became a first-time father at 67 years old. He told Vanity Fair it was “fantastic” because he is secure in his life and no longer building a career. Martin spends his days playing with Mary at home, savoring the slower pace and freedom that comes with parenting later in life.
8. Rod Stewart’s Multi-Generational Parenting
When Rod Stewart welcomed his youngest, Aiden, into a family of eight children, he was 66. Stewart has said that with each different age group of his children, he does indeed change his parenting game. His older kids have faced their ups and downs, and the role of Stewart has come to listening and advising without judgment.
9. Clint Eastwood’s Priorities Shift
Clint Eastwood was 66 when his daughter Morgan was born. In 2008, he said he became “a much better father” in later years and prioritized his daughter above everything. From softball games down to time dedicated to everyday moments, Eastwood’s latter years have been colored with an appreciation for fatherhood. These stories show that being a father isn’t confined by a number on a birth certificate. To Hollywood’s older fathers, parenting later in life offers a mix of challenges-from trying to keep up with youthful energy to deep emotional rewards and a renewed sense of purpose. Be it their first child or their eighth, these men prove that parenting can be just as meaningful, if not more so, when embraced with the wisdom of age.
