10 Celebrity Fathers Who Crushed Their Roles as Single Parents

When it comes to single parents, solo dads seem to have higher levels of education and income, one study revealed. Even so, their journeys don’t come without challenges, one of them being that society often doesn’t see them as up for the task. However, a few famous dads have shown the world that being single parents doesn’t prevent them from excelling at parenthood.

1. Dean Cain

Dean Cain isn’t only Superman on-screen, but in real life too. He is a single father to his son, Christopher, and he revealed that raising him alone has been the greatest and toughest role for him so far. Cain learned to always put his son first, and he even sacrificed his career to raise him.

And, as it turns out, everything paid off because now he’s very proud of his son. “I think he’s pretty proud of Dad, but to be honest, I’m pretty proud of him,” said the actor. “I think he’s my favorite human being on the planet. My best day would be just to wake up and me and my son to have a great day at home... Having no plans and hanging out with my son is my favorite day.”

2. John Travolta

The American actor lost his wife, actress Kelly Preston, in 2020 after 2 years of illness. The couple was parents to 21-year-old daughter Ella and 11-year-old Benjamin. Travolta is a devoted dad who never misses a chance to express his love for his kids. He shared a lovely post on Father’s Day, saying, ’’It is a privilege to be the father of these 2 beautiful children.’’

3. Josh Duhamel

Josh Duhamel is a father to Axl, a son he shares with his ex-wife, Fergie. They agreed to share legal and physical custody, and Duhamel does his best to be a good father. He gives his son the freedom to choose who he wants to be in life, as long as he is happy.

As for his parenting style, the actor says that he can be a cool dad as long as the boundaries he sets don’t get crossed, explaining, “I can be a softie sometimes, but he knows not to push me too far because he knows that I’ll put my foot down when it’s time.”

4. Jamie Foxx

The 54-year-old comedian has 2 daughters, 28-year-old Corinne and 12-year-old Annalise. It wasn’t easy for the single dad to raise his kids alone, as he had admitted making many mistakes along the way, such as ’’not being on time.’’ He revealed that from years of single fatherhood, he learned that the most important thing kids need is for their dad to be present.

5. Ryan Phillippe

The American actor shares a daughter, Ava, and a son, Deacon, with his ex-wife, actress Reese Witherspoon. The pair split in 2006 after 9 years together. In 2011, Phillippe became a dad for the third time after having a daughter with model Alexis Knapp. The 47-year-old has opened up about fatherhood, saying, "It’s the best part of my life. You could take away all this other stuff [...]’’

6. Skeet Ulrich

The American actor is a father to a twin boy and girl born in 2001. He and his wife divorced when the kids were 4, and Ulrich prioritized his 2 kids over his acting career. It seems that being a dad has a special place in this 52-year-old’s heart, who even admitted that fatherhood allowed him to ’’re-experience my own childhood in a new way and be the parent I wish I’d had.’’

7. Chris Pratt

Jack is Chris Pratt’s son from his first marriage to Anna Faris. The young boy lives part-time with Pratt, and the actor enjoys his role as a father. He also thinks that being a father is even more fun than being an actor. “I’ve done all kinds of cool things as an actor — I’ve jumped out of helicopters and done some daring stunts and played baseball in a professional stadium, but none of it means anything compared to being somebody’s daddy,” he revealed.

8. Usher

The 43-year-old American musician is the proud dad of 2 boys, a daughter, and a newborn baby. He divorced the mother of his 2 sons in 2009 and raised them as a single dad. After becoming a dad for the first time in 2007, Usher revealed that he takes the responsibility of fatherhood very seriously. Saying about his son, ’’Now I represent what he is to become."

9. Liam Neeson

The Hollywood actor has 2 sons, Micheál, 26, and Daniel, 25. He lost the mother of his boys in a skiing accident back in 2009. The action star hasn’t remarried since and raised his boys by himself and said, "It’s an ongoing joy being a dad.’’ In 2020, the dad and his oldest son played opposite each other in Made in Italy.

10. Arnold Schwarzenegger

The Austrian-American actor and former bodybuilder has 3 sons and 2 daughters. He became officially divorced from the mother of his 4 oldest kids in 2021 after 10 years of separation. The star expressed his love for his kids, saying, "Fatherhood is really the greatest joy. Watching all 5 of my kids grow into their own successful lives is fantastic. Spending time with them, working out together, and answering their questions makes me so happy.’’

What do you think is the biggest challenge that a single dad can face?