Why Hugh Grant Says He Waited Too Long To Have Kids

It seems that many male celebrities have been having children fairly late in life nowadays. For instance, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro both welcomed newborns in their early 80s. The logic behind it certainly makes sense — when male actors, singers, or performers are at the peak of their careers, they don't necessarily have the time to devote to a child. Men are able to conceive decades beyond their prime, though, so it makes sense that many famous men would wait to grow their families.

Some older men handle parenting better than others, while those others struggle with having to take care of such tiny balls of energy. One celebrity who most definitely feels the pain of that struggle is Hugh Grant, who is a father of five, the youngest of which was born in 2018. At 64 years old in November 2024, Grant reflected on his life on an episode of the podcast "SmartLess" with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett. He admitted he waited too long to welcome his five kids into the world. 

Grant has two children with his ex Tinglan Hong, who were 13 and 11 at the time of his "SmartLess" episode, and three children with his current wife Anna Eberstein, who were 6, 8, and 12 at the time. When the "SmartLess" trio asked Grant how many kids he has, he humorously replied, "Well, we think it's five." He went on to say, "But I had them much too old in life you know, I started when I was 52. Now I'm 64, you know, and the youngest is 6, and I need a long stint in a sanatorium or an abbey."

Having five kids over the span of nearly 13 years would be enough to drive even the fittest of 30-year-olds a bit crazy, so one can only imagine how much of a toll it takes on the British sexagenarian. In a 2020 interview with the LA Times, Hugh Grant shared more of his feelings on being an older father while also dealing with a pandemic: "I'm an old man with very young children and a very exhausted wife. So it's just about survival from hour to hour in terms of childcare."  

Though his kids may overwhelm him sometimes, the fun-loving "Love Actually" actor still adores fatherhood and all that it brings. Grant appeared on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" in November 2024 as well, where he told the talk show host, "I mean there's a lot to dread because it's, I'm old and it's noisy and it's unbearable and I do a lot of hiding in the loo." Later in the interview, Grant said, "But it is nice. I mean, I'm going home tonight and I, you know, let's face it, the bit where they jump in your arms — the 6-year-old you know, she calls it her 'chimpanzee hug.' I quite like that." He started to tear up, and pointed out that he made himself emotional just thinking about the hug from his daughter that was waiting for him when he got home. 

While he may believe that he waited too long in life to have kids, it's clear that Grant enjoys every moment he gets to spend with his kids, no matter how old he gets to be.