8 Celebrities who put their dad duties above their fame

Today is International Family Day, which gives us the opportunity to consider the role of families in our ever-changing society.

In Western societies in particular, people are focused on trying to find the perfect work-life balance — a little tricky when the price of living is rising sharply — so it’s easy to see how family life is no longer the priority for many. As a result families tend to be smaller, and the elderly are becoming more isolated.

However, there are some celebrities out there who are inspiring us with how they put their family center stage. While most of them are men of faith you’ll already be familiar with, others are dads who demonstrate some of the values of the Catholic faith and are inspiring in the way they just love their family life.

The dad-of-four may not be overly religious, but he was raised in the Catholic faith. The actor never seems happier than when he’s surrounded by his wife, Blake Lively, and their four young children … and his beloved Welsh soccer team, Wrexham FC.

However, his love for the older generations was clear to see when he mourned the loss of his father James, after a 20-year battle with Parkinson’s. And in fact, he and his wife named their firstborn daughter after her grandfather the year before he died.

Away from the spotlight, actor and funnyman Kevin James is first and foremost a family man. He, too, is a dad of four children whom he shares with his wife of 19 years, Steffiana de la Cruz.

James was brought up a Catholic, and continues to practice the faith devoutly. He actually hosted a Catholic retreat in his home in 2019, inviting other men of faith to discuss and listen to each other while also enjoying some fun times in his home gym.

The How I Met Your Mother star is also a devout Catholic — having rediscovered his faith in more recent years — and dad to three young children. And what was particularly cute about the 33-year-old was when he shared with his fans how he is passing on his faith to his children.

Henrie actually gifted his two-year old daughter, Pia, with a beautiful painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The actor then shared on social media the look of delight that his toddler had on discovering her present.

Of course, the Father Stu actor and dad-of-four has to make the list. There is no doubt that Wahlberg is a family man, as he’s often sharing what his offspring have been up to … and he’s quick to tease them.

But he also took the big step of moving away from the bright lights of Hollywood to ensure his kids could fulfill their dreams.

You might think the Thor actor would be enjoying the lifestyle of other Blockbuster stars among all the glitter of Hollywood. But the Australian actor, known for his impressive physique, lives in his native Australia, along with his wife Elsa Pataky of 12 years and their three children.

Hemsworth revealed in 2022 that he’d inherited genes from both his parents making it eight to 10 times more likely that he’ll develop Alzheimer’s disease than the rest of the population. This spurred him to announce that he’d be taking a hiatus from acting to spend time with his family.

The dad of four has had one of Hollywood’s more enduring marriages. He shares with his wife of nearly 40 years, Pauletta, four children whom he has quietly championed in all their endeavors.

Washington has always been open about his faith, and has shared how he reads the Bible daily. This devotion to God enabled him to offer some wise words of wisdom to Will Smith after the now-famous slap at the Oscars in 2022.

There’s something particularly lovable about The Office actor. The dad of two, who’s been married to fellow actor Emily Blunt since 2010, used his daughters’ artwork for his makeshift studio, to film Some Good News during the COVID pandemic.

The devout Catholic may be very vocal about his faith, but he stays discreet about his private life. However, we do know that he and his wife, Kerri Browitt, chose to adopt three children from China who all had cancer.

But what is really lovely about the Passion of the Christ actor is his respect for his wife while he’s at work. Caviezel refuses to do gratuitous sex scenes when filming a movie, as he shared, “It’s sin, pure and simple.”

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