It doesn't have to be Father's Day to appreciate all the amazing dads out there! And yes, Hollywood is packed with them. If successful parenting really comes down to teamwork, then moms and dads should be given equal credit for their time, energy, and insane amounts of patience. But what happens when families start moving away from traditional views? What if there isn't a Mommy? What happens when a father becomes estranged from his only daughter?
The "picture perfect" family album doesn't look the same for everyone -- and that's where we come in. We want to celebrate dads of all kinds. The ones who get out of bed to play after only three hours of sleep, the ones who lost a teammate along the way, the ones who struggle with special needs, and the ones who thought children were never in their future.
We all come from different backgrounds, which is what makes parenting so personal. No two journeys are the same. We ask that readers keep an open mind while reading through this list of Hollywood dads. Some stories may positively speak to you while others may raise an eyebrow. The point is not to judge. Having said that, get ready to have your heartstrings pulled.
25 Bruce Willis
With roles such as Hartigan in Sin City and John McClane in Die Hard, you'd think Bruce Willis would be this macho, tough guy. But in fact, away from the silver screen, he's the biggest sweetheart around his children. He's father to Rumer, Tallulah, Scout, Evelyn, and Mabel -- all girls! He was married to Ghost actress Demi Moore (seen in this picture) from 1987 to 2000. Bruce is currently married to 40-year-old Emma Heming, a British actress, and model. And yes, he's 63 years-old. Don't mind the age gap; They've been together since 2009.
24 Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood is another Hollywood icon you'd describe as intimidating -- until you see him smiling with his kids. He has two sons, Scott, and Kyle, and five daughters: Francesca, Morgan, Alison, Kathryn, and Kimber. Despite this long-standing roots in Hollywood as a filmmaker, musician, and actor, his family doesn't spend too much time in the limelight. The only one who's been heavily photographers is Scott thanks to his role in Suicide Squad and his public romance with blonde model Charlotte McKinney.
23 Dwayne Johnson
Remember when The Rock teased a potential presidential run? After seeing what an amazing father he is, we'd totally vote for him!
Dwayne spills the cutest words about his children on Instagram. Here's proof: "Working late and had only 3hrs sleep when this tornado busts in our bedroom, jumps on me, and pleads with me to play. Tired as all hell, but thought ehh there’s gonna come a time, years from now when jumping in my arms is the last thing she wants to do and ain’t gonna be cool anymore — so I’ll always take these moments while I can."
22 David Beckham
The United Kingdom basically exploded when their number one soccer player, David Beckham, married their number one pop star, Posh Spice from the Spice Girls. It went down as one of the greatest celebrity couplings of all time. Years later, David and Victoria are proud parents to Brooklyn, Harper, Cruz, and Romeo. In this athletic family, it's no surprise that his sons have picked up an interest in soccer.
Oh, sorry, they call it football. Daughter Harper is more into fashion like her momma.
21 Jack Nicholson
Be still, our beating heart. To see such a Hollywood legend goofing off with his children makes us smile to no end.
Not that this man needs any introduction, but this here is actor Jack Nicholson. You probably know him from One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, The Shining, and Batman. Jack played the original Joker before Heath Ledger and Jared Leto. At home, however, he only plays the role of a loving and supportive father to Lorraine, Ray, Honey, Jennifer, and Caleb.
20 Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger was taken from us much too soon. The world was left in tears following headlines that the Batman, 10 Things I Hate About You, and Brokeback Mountain actor passed away in 2008 due to cardiac arrest. He is survived by actress Michelle Williams and their adorable daughter Matilda, who looks like the mirror image of Heath. You can still see pictures of Matilda and Michelle walking around New York City together. Michelle and comedic actor Jason Segel dated for a brief period.
19 Dustin Hoffman
If we had to sum up Dustin Hoffman in one sentence, it'd be,
"Family man with a whole lot of awards."
Seriously though, this actor's the recipient of two Academy Awards, six Golden Globes, four BATFAs, three Drama Desks, two Emmys, and it doesn't stop there. Still, all this winning never stands in the way of parenting. Being a father figure will always come first. Dustin frequently walks the red carpet with his children, gushes over them in interviews, and can be seen hanging out with them all over Los Angeles.
18 Neil Patrick Harris
Family dinners are a tradition at the Harris household. "We do travel a lot and we're busy a lot, but what's sacrosanct is the family eating dinner together," the How I Met Your Mother told Today.
"Whether we're ordering in Chinese food or having a ribeye, it's important to have family communion."
With such a hectic acting schedule, who can blame him for wanting quality time without any screens or distractions? Neil is the adoptive father of two children: Harper and Gideon.
17 Joel Madden
What's it like having a father as a rockstar? For Harlow and Sparrow, it's completely normal -- except for the fact that they get to travel around the world while he's on tour with Good Charlotte. But besides that, Joel and his children do the typical parenting stuff, like grocery shopping together (they shop at Ralphs just like us!) and take sweet family photos for the 'Gram. The singer married reality star Nicole Richie from The Simple Life in 2010. She was once Paris Hilton's BFF.
16 Jimmy Fallon
Despite being on television five nights a week, there's nothing Jimmy Fallon loves more than watching TV with his two kids: Winnie and Frances.
“They know the theme song and they love The Roots,” he told People, referring to the band on The Tonight Show. "They know the whole show. They’re not surprised to see me getting a pie in my face or if I’m signing a song with Ariana Grande and the Muppets or something. They’re used to all that. We make a good morning show!”
15 Jack Black
Imagine having a comedian as a father. The house must be filled with laughter at all times. But for sons Samuel and Thomas, it's more like laughing at Jack Black rather than with him.
“I’m the dorky dad that my boys are humiliated by,” he jokily told Us Weekly. “They’re always like, ‘Shut up, Dad. You’re so dumb.”
Whenever Jack lands a new movie role, he hopes it will be the turning point where his sons go, "Oh, my God, Dad. You’re so cool."
14 Anthony Hopkins
As much as we love happy-go-lucky family stories, not all ties work out that way. People lose contact and drift apart. That's the reality -- not what we see on social media or read about in magazines.
This may not be an uplifting story but at least it's honest. Silence Of The Lambs actor Anthony Hopkins is estranged from daughter Abigail, his only child. “People break up. Families split and, you know, ‘Get on with your life," he told The Telegraph. Hey, it happens.
13 Robin Williams
We miss you, Robin Williams! The Patch Adams and Mrs. Doubtfire comedian had such a way with words. After his passing, his daughter Zelda revealed the best advice she ever received from her father. "As an actor, it’s very different from the rest of it but it was always, you know, be kind, work very hard, and I think the concept of ego has kind of taken over for a lot of people in our industry."
Did you catch that? Be kind, work hard, and keep your ego in check. Noted.
12 Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg has quite the posse behind him: Ella, Grace, Brendan, and Michael. According to the Daddy's Home actor, they have no trouble growing up in the spotlight with a famous father. “
It’s a non-issue for them. They only pull the ‘Dad’s famous’ card when they want to go to a concert or meet someone famous. They see me as 'dad' and that’s all I want."
Getting stalked and followed on the street gets annoying, but Mark is "proud" of them for handling it so well.
11 Jackie Chan
Stuntman-turned-actor Jackie Chan raised some eyebrows after disclosing his parenting style in a tell-all book. "I've always believed kids need [a tap] to be disciplined. I'm not a good dad, but I'm a responsible dad. I will be very strict in good times, support him to pull through in bad times when he is punished and aware of his mistakes."
Again, we're not here to judge someone's family bond. Disciplining children is hard and there is no "right" way to do it.
10 Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey hasn't spoken much about daughter Jane to the press, but his latest TV project, Kidding, might shed some light on their relationship. “Kidding reminds people that no matter how far gone they think they are, there’s an innocence inside us that can’t be destroyed. It's filled with challenging themes and ideas. But it also has puppets!"
Sounds like an appropriate metaphor for life and raising children. Jane is said to be about 30-years old now and the spitting image of her father.
9 Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper went from strapping a baby to his chest in the Hangover movie to having one IRL with Russian model Irina Shayk.
"I guess having a child, and having a family of my own — which is a miracle and something I’ve always dreamt of — has opened me up even more, I guess, to the day, and to be present.”
The Silver Linings Playbook star admits that daughter Lea De Seine has changed his life and career for the better.
8 Liam Neeson
When tabloids reported that Liam Neeson's son was changing his last name, many thought he was distancing himself from the Taken actor. But that couldn't have been further from the truth. Michael changed his name to honor his late mother, Parent Trap actress Natasha Richardson who sustained a head injury while skiing. Michael admits he "hit rock bottom" and picked up partying as a distraction. "I realize it was a delayed reaction." Liam is now raising Michael and Daniel as a single parent.
7 Sylvester Stallone
Tough guy Sylvester Stallone is the biggest softie around Sophia, Sistine, Scarlet, and Seageoh. He may appear tough as nails on screen, but there will always be one topic that breaks him down: his late son Sage,
"When a parent loses a child there is no greater pain. Therefore I am imploring people to respect my talented son’s memory and feel compassion for his loving mother Sasha. Sage was our first child and the center of our universe and I am humbly begging for all to have my son’s memory and soul left in peace."
6 Sean Connery
At 86-years old, it seems the roles have reversed for Sean Connery and his only child. The Scottish actor is still in great health, but as tradition goes, it's now the kid's turn to take care of the parents. Jason recently gave an update on his father to Page Six, admitting he's "good" and had a hole-in-one a few weeks ago.
Jason and Sean have always bonded over golf and the James Bond movies. The two frequently attend movie premiers together as well.