10+ Celebrity Dads Who Proved Age Is No Barrier

Many people have normalized having a kid in their late 20s. However, there are also men who choose to enjoy a child-free bachelor’s and raise a family later in life for many reasons. While everyone is entitled to make their own decisions, we respect them all and highlighted some stars who embraced fatherhood later in life.

1. Bradley Cooper

In 2017, Bradley Cooper had a daughter with Irina Shayk, when he was 42. They named her Lea De Seine Shayk Cooper. When the couple split up, they agreed to have shared custody of their child.

2. Bruce Willis

The award-winning actor has 3 daughters from his first marriage with actress Demi Moore. All of them were almost grown by the time he welcomed his fourth daughter at the age of 57. “I’m happier than I’ve ever been. I’m changing diapers like a champ. When I’m not working, my days are devoted to the women in my life,” he said.

3. Jeff Goldblum

The 68-year-old actor admitted he never thought of having kids until he met his wife, a Canadian Olympic gymnast named Emilie Livingston. She discovered she was pregnant the day before their wedding, and Goldblum became a first-time dad at the age of 62. “I never seriously considered it until Emilie,” the Morning Glory actor said. “I’m at a different place now. I was enthusiastic to marry her and try to have a baby.”

4. Steve Martin

Steve Martin has won the hearts of millions in his many family movies, such as Cheaper by the Dozen and Father of the Bride. But the award-winning actor didn’t have children of his own until he was 67. Martin believes becoming an older dad was the right choice for him. “If I’d had a child earlier, I would have misplaced my attention on my career,” he said.

5. Alec Baldwin

The 63-year-old actor and a father of 7 admits becoming a dad for the second time in his fifties wasn’t easy. “I think, ’You know what? I wish I had more time,’” he shared. The Hollywood star has a daughter from his first marriage to actress Kim Basinger and 6 children with his second wife, a yoga teacher, Hilaria Thomas.

6. Simon Cowell

The X Factor judge welcomed his first child at 53 years old. Although Cowell was initially shocked by the news, he’s now thinking of a second child. “I was born to be a dad,” he said. “I wouldn’t rule out [more children]. I had a brother when I was younger, so I kind of think it’s cool to have 2 or 3.”

7. Hugh Grant

The Love Actually star and longtime Hollywood bachelor didn’t expect to find out he’s was about to become a father at the age of 51. We can only imagine his surprise when he became a second-time dad only a year later. Grant admits having children transformed his life, and he wished he thought of starting a family sooner. “I’m trying to be a young father in an old man’s body and it’s rough, but it’s absolutely worth it. You need a family. I get that now,” he shared.

8. Chris Noth

Much like the many characters he’s played, Chris Noth was holding onto his bachelor life for a long time. But it all changed when he met a Canadian actress Tara Lynn Wilson. The couple got married, and Noth welcomed his first child at 54. “My son makes me laugh every day. He’s got a little of my goofball in him,” he said.

9. Anderson Cooper

The TV host became a first-time dad at the age of 53. Although Cooper and his longtime boyfriend, Benjamin Maisani, had split up, they co-parent their son. “The interesting thing about having a child is it’s made me sort of connect with my dad and my mom’s past and my brother’s past in a way that I never really anticipated. I remember things about my dad that I never remembered before because I’m experiencing them with Wyatt as a dad,” he shared.

10. Hill Harper

The All Eyez on Me actor always thought he was going to get married and have a big family. But by the time he was 49, he was still single, and a close friend told him even though he wasn’t married, he didn’t need to wait any longer to become a dad. Harper talked to an adoption agent, and just a few months later, he got a call to adopt a baby boy. “I actually went from the set of ‘All Eyez on Me,’ flew to where she was giving birth, and I was there in the delivery room and I cut the cord. I’m so proud that Pierce chose me to be his dad,” he said.

11. Guy Pearce

The Jack Irish star thought he reached a point in his life where he didn’t feel like he needed to have kids. However, at the age of 48, he became a father for the first time. Pearce said that being an older dad has taught him “patience, and having a better understanding of himself.” He continued, “It’s certainly not going to be about kicking the footy in 1 year’s time, that’s for sure.”

12. Enrique Iglesias

Enrique Iglesias became a very renowned singer before, but then he shifted his focus to starting a family with Anna Kournikova. He had twins at the age of 42, named Lucy and Nicholas.