The Dirt
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ByMarika Kazimierska/
We sometimes wonder why some of our favorite celebrities have yet to start a family. However, many have prioritized their careers before having little ones running around. And that's okay! In April, at age 48, actor Hilary Swank welcomed twins with her husband, Philip Schneider. She told Extra that the wait to have children was because of her successful and busy acting career and finding the right partner. "I was having a career and not having the right relationship until ... four years ago, and all the elements needed to come together and be right," she shared.
It's becoming common to have children later in life. Though a woman's potential to become pregnant decreases as they get older,men, on the other hand, can have children well into their 50s and beyond. And so, we've seen several Hollywood male actors welcoming children at a later age in life. However, in this list, we aren't talking about stars like John Stamos, George Clooney, or Hugh Grant, who all became first-time dads in their 50s; we're talking about the A-list men who decided the right time to start a family was in their 60s and 70!
These celebrities don't see their age as a reason to stop them from starting a family. Check out which stars became parents much later.
David Foster welcomed a son at age 71
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Music man David Foster and his wife, "AmericanIdol" alumKatharine McPhee had people doubting their romance because of their nearly 35-year age gap, but it hasn't affected the couple one bit. In fact, Foster and McPhee solidified their relationship when they wed in June 2019 andwelcomed their first child, a son named Rennie, in February 2021, when Foster was 71.
During an interview with People, Foster revealed that he wasn't bothered by people questioning the couple's decision to have children. "I think thatI can offer one thing to Rennie even though I won't be around when he's 50 or 40 even, or 30 maybe. I think I can offer him wisdom from my 72 years on the planet. And maybe that's not a bad trade-off. Ihope so," Foster admitted. Foster has been giving his son more than just wisdom – he's also teaching him his musical talents. Fans can watch videos of a 23-month-old Rennie mastering the drums on Foster's Instagram.
The music composer is also a dad to five much older daughters, who he welcomed from previous relationships. Four are older than his wife, with his oldest daughter, Allison, born in 1970.
Alec Baldwin welcomed his eighth child at 64
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Alec Baldwin is one busy father after welcoming his seventh child with his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, in September 2022. The "Saturday Night Live" star was 64 when the couple welcomed their newest arrival. Hilaria shared the good news on Instagram with a video montage of their six other children meeting their sister for the first time. "She's here! We are so excited to introduce you to our tiny dream come true, Ilaria Catalina Irena," she wrote.
The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Carmen, in August 2013, just a little over a year after the two wed in 2012. In 2015, they welcomed their son Rafael; in 2016, Hilaria gave birth to their second son, Leonardo. When the "30 Rock" star was 60, the couple welcomed their fourth child, Romeo, in 2018. There was no stopping there with the yoga instructor giving birth to another boy named Eduardo in 2020. The pair surprised fans when six months after the arrival of Eduardo, they welcomed their sixth child, a daughter named Maria, via surrogate in 2021.
Alec is also a father to an older daughter named Ireland with his ex-wife Kim Basinger. However, after posting a tribute to his children on Instagram, he seemed to have forgotten to include her. "Seven reasons to carry on during some tough times. I'm not gonna lie, without my family, I don't know what my life would be." The actor realized his mistake and, hours later, posted a separate tribute to Ireland. Whoops!
Steve Martin welcomed his only child at 67
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Steve Martin has been playing the role of dad in several films, including "Father of the Bride," "Parenthood,"and evening famously portraying a father of twelve in "Cheaper by the Dozen." So, it's surprising that this actor didn't welcome any children until he was 67. Martin and his wife, Anne Stringfield, welcomed their only child, a daughter, in December 2012.
However, Martin was too focused on his acting career to have kids. Opening up to AARP The Magazine in 2017, the comedian shared that he didn't think he would have been a great father in his younger years. "I think if I'd had a child earlier, I would have been a lousy father because I would have misplaced my attention on my career," he admitted.
Being a new dad in his late 60s has its advantages, too. Martin gets to prioritize his family after a successful career in Hollywood. "Oh, it's fantastic," the actor told Daily Telegraph (via Vanity Fair), adding, "You have all the time in the world. You're all set and secure in life, and you're not building your career, so you have a lot of time."
Jeff Goldblum had children at 62 and 65
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Jeff Goldblum was 62 years old when he welcomed his first child. The "Jurassic Park"actor and his wife, Emilie Livingston, who share an over 30-year age gap, became proud parents to a son named Charlie on Independence Day in 2015, with Goldblum sharing the joyous news on Facebook. More good news came the couple's way when they announced they were expanding their family. They welcomed another boynamedRiverin April 2017, when the actor was 65.
Goldblum's age wasn't a factor in the couple's quest for parenthood. "I feel right on schedule, and I love our two boys," the actor told UsWeekly in 2018, adding, "Everything seemed to happen perfectly.I appreciate it wildly." Goldblum shared similar sentiments in 2022 during an interview with "Today" show hosts Hoda Kotb andJenna Bush Hager when asked about being a father to two young children in his 70s. "It's amazing, it's revivifying, and makes my relationship with Emilie frankly, enhanced," he said.
Of course, fans of Goldblum's can see the actor on daddy duty on Instagram, where he posts a few highlights with his wife and children, including attending Charlie's first piano performance.
Billy Joel became a father again well into his 60s
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At over 70, BillyJoel is still performing the most entertaining concerts year after year across the U.S. However, when he's not singing "Piano Man" or "Uptown Girl" in front of thousands of fans, he's busy raising two young children with his wife, Alexis Roderick. At 66, Joel became a dad for the second time when he and his wife welcomed a daughter Della in August 2015. They continued to grow their family when the couple welcomed another daughter named Remy in October 2017, with the singer being 68 at the time.
Joel is also a proud dad to an older daughter named Alexa Ray Joel,born in1985. The singer welcomed his first daughter with his ex-wife, model Christie Brinkley. Like her father, Alexa is also a singer and pianist. Alexa and Della joined their father on stage during his MSG Residency Show in New York City in December 2018. Alexa and her father sang "Have Yourself a Merry LittleChristmas,"while a then-three-year-old Della adorably joined her father for his popular hit, "Don't Ask Me Why." Though Della seemed too shy to sing, is there another pop star in the making?
Elton John didn't let his age stop him from becoming a father
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Elton John and his husband, David Furnish, became first-time parents when they welcomed a son, Zachary, via surrogate on Christmas Day in 2010. The "RocketMan" singer was 63 when he became a father, and though he faced criticism for having a child at his age, he felt that he was at the right stage of his life to take up parenthood. He told the Mirror, "Look, I'm not an idiot. I was prepared for criticism. I knew people would say that I was too old." But, he continued, "Something happened to change things, and I went into this with eyes open, knowing exactly what the reaction would be and prepared to take it on ... Regardless of everything, I have never been happier and never been more sure we've done the right thing."
John and Furnish expanded their family in January 2013 when they welcomed a second son named Elijah using the same surrogate. Talking to Hello! (via E! News) John and Furnish shared about being parents to two kids, "Both of us have longed to have children, but the reality that we now have two sons is almost unbelievable. The birth of our second son completes our family in the most precious and perfect way."
The star-studded parents rarely share photos of their boys. However, in March 2022, John shared a photo on Instagram of his two sons smiling while holding Furnish and songstress Lady Gaga's hands at an event.
George Lucas had his first biological child at 69
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Film director George Lucas and Ariel Investments president Mellody Hobson's relationship came as a surprise to friend Oprah Winfrey, who interviewed the pair for OWN in 2012. Asked by Winfrey how they make their relationship work, Hobson revealed, "I think it works because we are extraordinarily open-minded people, and we're open to what the universe brings us. I think we didn't have preconceived ideas about what a partnership should be, and so we allowed ourselves to discover something that was unexpected."
The twosome didn't wait long to tie the knot and start a family. They got engaged the following year and wed in June 2013. In August, the couple welcomed their daughter Everest into the world via surrogate when Lucas was 69. The newborn made Lucas a father of four.
However, the birth of Everest becomes the "Star Wars" franchise creator's first biological child. Lucas is the father of three older adopted children named Amanda, Katie, and Jett. Lucas shares Amanda with his ex-wife, Marcia Lou Griffin, with whom he was married from 1969 to 1983. He later adopted Katie and Jett after his divorce. Fun fact:The director included his older children in the three "Star Wars" prequels as background characters.
Mick Jagger has his eighth child at 73
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Author Christopher Andersen, who wrote the Mick Jagger biography, "Mick," claimed that the Rolling Stone vocalist slept with upwards of 4,000 women during his lifetime. Whether that number is valid, the almost 80-year-old Jagger has been happily taken by his partner Melanie Hamrick since 2014.
Jagger and Hamrick's 44-year-age difference may have come as a shock, but what may have been even more surprising was the announcement that the "Satisfaction" singer was going to be a dad for the eighth time atthe age of 73. In December 2016, the couple welcomed their son Deveraux into the world. In December 2022, Hamrick dedicated an Instagram post celebrating their son's sixth birthday, and it's pretty amazing how identical he looks to his rock star dad!
As mentioned, Jagger does have seven other much older children. The singer had his first daughter, Karis Jagger, in 1970 with Marsha Hunt. His second daughter, Jade, arrived in 1971, whom he shares with ex-wife Bianca Jagger. Between 1984 and 1997, Mick welcomed four more children named Elizabeth, James, Georgia, and Gabriel with model Jerry Hall. His seventh child, Lucas, was born in 1999 to model Luciana Gimenez Morad. Jagger is also a grandfather of five grandchildren from his daughters Karis and Jade and a great-grandfather to Jade's daughter's children!
Richard Gere welcomed his third child when he was 70
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Richard Gere is a doting father to three children. However, the age difference between his oldest child and his youngest is 20 years. In 2000, the "Pretty Woman" star welcomed a son namedHomer with his ex-wife Carey Lowell, whom he split in 2013 after an 11-year marriage. Nineteen years after the birth of his first son, Gere became a dad again at 69 when he and his current wife, Alejandra Silva,welcomed a son named Alexander into the world.
In November 2019, Page Six reported that Silva was pregnant with the couple's second child. Shegave birth to the couple's son in April 2020, and the couple has yet to confirm his name. Though Gere and Silva are super private regarding their children, the political activist has shared snippets of their lives on Instagram. Keeping the faces of her young children blurred or having them look away from the camera, Silva has posted photos on the beach with her kids and a tripto a pumpkin patch. Silva is also the mom to a son named Albert from a previous relationship.
Al Pacino was 60 when he welcomed twins
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Al Pacino has never been married, but he is a father to three children. During an interview with The New Yorker in 2014, Pacino vowed to be present in his children's lives, unlike his father, who left him and his mother when he was a baby. "Having children has helped a lot. I consciously knew thatI didn't want to be like my dad. I wanted to be there. I have three children. I'm responsible to them. I'm a part of their life. When I'm not, it's upsetting to me and to them. So that's part of the gestalt. And I get a lot from it. It takes you out of yourself," he shared.
The director welcomed his first child, a daughter named Julie, in 1989, whom he shares with ex-girlfriend Jan Tarrant. In 2001, "The Godfather" actor welcomed twins Anton andOlivia with actor Beverly D'Angelo, whom he never married, but dated from 1997 to 2000. Pacino was 60 at the time. Despite keeping his life with his kids largely private, his daughter Olivia has shared heartwarming posts about her famous father on Instagram, proving that he is very much a big part of his children's lives. In April 2021, she wished her dad a happy birthday, sharing, "Happy 81st to not only my inspiration but my best friend and the best father I could ever ask for I love you."
Warren Beatty had his youngest child when he was 63
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Hollywood icon Warren Beatty was once known for having romantic relationships with an array of Hollywood stars, including Cher, Madonna, and Elle MacPherson, to name a few. However, it all changed in the early 90s when he settled down with actor Annette Bening, and the couple welcomed a child in 1992. The pair welcomed three more children, with their youngest daughter, Ella, born in 2000 when Beatty was 63.
Beatty loves being a father and often gushes about his children. Speaking about his wife and kids to People in 2016, the actor shared, "We are married for 25 years now, and we have these four, what I like to call eastern European countries that we negotiate with, and we send ambassadors, and we negotiate, and they're the best thing that's ever happened to me – they, and her."Bening shared similar feelings: " "We're really proud of our children. So we brag about them when we can."
In fact, the couple's daughter Ella followed in her parent's acting footsteps. Looking at herInstagram, she graduated from The Julliard School and announced that she will join the cast of Season 2 of Ryan Murphy's FX anthology "Feud: Capote's Women."
Hugh Hefner had his last son at 65
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Playboy founder Hugh Hefnerdied in September 2017 at the age of 91. Though he was known for his bachelor lifestyle and was constantly surrounded by beautiful women at his Playboy Mansion, Hefner did have three wives during his lifetime, with his first two wives welcoming two children each.
Hefner married his childhood sweetheart, Mildred Williams, in 1949, just four years before he founded Playboy magazine. The couple welcomed a daughter named Christie in 1952 and a son, David, born in 1955. After Hefner and Williams' divorce in 1959, he dated several women until he settled down for the second time in 1989 with Playboy playmate Kimberley Conrad. The couple had a 36-age difference, but that didn't stop them from welcoming two sons. In 1990, at the age of 64, Hefner became a dad for the third time when Conrad gave birth to their son, Marston. The following year, they welcomed another son named Cooper. Unfortunately, the couple didn't last and divorced in 2010. However, Hefner did marry for the third time. In 2012, he wed Playboy playmate Crystal Hefner, whom he was with until his death.
Two of Hefner's children worked for Hefner's Playboy enterprise. His eldest and only daughter Christie ran Playboy for over 20 years until stepping down in 2009. His youngest son, Cooper, also worked as chief of global partnerships at Playboy but left in 2019.
Nick Nolte had a daughter at 66
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Actor Nick Nolte was 66 when he welcomedhis second child with his wife Clytie Lane in October 2007. "The Mandalorian" star is already a father to a much older son named Brawley,born in 1986, from his marriage to Rebecca Linger. Now in his late 70s, Nolte is very close to his young daughter Sophia. In 2018, the pair worked together in the film "Head Full of Honey," with Sophia portraying Nolte's granddaughter.
Talking to People about his joyful experience working with his daughter and seeing her knack for acting, he shared, "What you saw in that film was a relationship between a father and a daughter, and you don't really get it in real life because parents have a little bit of love and a little bit of a disciplinarian attitude that kind of shuts down that 'I love you' kind of thing. We got some intimacy that's just going to be precious for our memories."
In that same interview, Nolte gushed that his experience working with his daughter was so great he'd love to work with her again. As a matter of fact, Nolte also worked with his son Brawley when he was a kid. Brawley starred in the 1996 movie "Mother Night" and 1997's "Affliction" with his dad.
Robert De Niro became a dad again at 79
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At 79, actor Robert De Niro became a father for the seventh time when he and his girlfriend Tiffany Chen welcomed a daughter in April. The news came as a surprise after De Niro corrected a reporter for ET Canadain May who asked him about his six kids, with "The Irishman" actor responding with, "Seven, actually." With the cat out of the bag, the actor revealed with CBS Morning that he and Chen indeed welcomed a daughter they named Gia Virginia Chen De Niro, and even shared an adorable photo of their newborn.
De Niro shares his six other children with three other women. When the actor married his first wife, Diahnne Abbott, he adopted her daughter, Drena, who was born in 1971. The couple later welcomed a son named Raphael in 1976. After the couple's divorce in 1988, De Niro dated actor Toukie Smith and the pair welcomed twins Julian and Aaron in 1995. The actor remarried his second wife, Grace Hightower, in 1997. The following year, they welcomed a son named Elliot, and in 2011, their daughter Helen was born via surrogate. De Niro and Hightower split in 2018.
De Niro truly adores fatherhood. Giving some words of wisdom about being a dad, he shared with Access Hollywood, "Sometimes I don't think people really know what being a good father is, you know you have a responsibility, but it's a mystery, it's a lot of excitement but scary, and you do your best." De Niro is definitely a pro at being a dad!
