Hugh Grant has opened up about becoming a father later in life – and true to form, he’s not exactly held back with his thoughts.
The Bafta winner shares two children with his ex-partner Tinglan Hong, and three more with his wife, Anna Eberstein.
Speaking on the SmartLess podcast, Hugh was asked about how many children he had, jokingly responding: “We think it’s five. But I had them much too old in life, you know I started when I was 52.”
Now 64, Hugh commented that he needs a “long stint in a sanatorium or an abbey” since becoming a dad, adding: “I often look at the abbey Maria lives in in The Sound Of Music and wish I lived there.”
However, he did say that fatherhood has also changed him for the better, turning him from a “dried-up, middle-aged, golf-addicted Englishman” to someone with “heart” and “more layers or something”.
The Heretic star was also asked about being a parent during an interview on Kelly Clarkson’s US talk show last week.
Asked for his kids’ ages, Hugh quipped: “Oh… I don’t know. They go from – I have a 13-year-old daughter right down to a six-year-old daughter. And there are some sons sprinkled in there somewhere.”
When Kelly questioned if her guest is a “jungle gym dad” who has kids “crawling all over you”, Hugh offered a surprisingly sincere response.
“I love a bit of that,” he said with a smile. “I love a bit of that, yeah. I mean, there’s a lot to dread, because I’m old and it’s noisy and it’s unbearable and I do a lot of hiding in the loo. I do a lot of sleeping in there now! There’s a lock, but they’ve pretty much broken it now… but it is nice.
“I’m going home tonight, and let’s face it, the bit where they jump in your arms, the six-year-old, you know. She calls it her chimpanzee hug. I quite like that.”
As the studio audience let out a mutual “awww”, Hugh then broke the tension, joking: “I’ve made myself cry.”
Hugh shares 13-year-old Tabitha and 11-year-old Felix with Tinglan Hong, while he and his wife have 12-year-old John, eight-year-old Lulu and six-year-old Blue.
Last month, Hugh was asked about his own unusual middle name, and took the opportunity to reveal the surprising backstories behind some of his own children’s names, too.