Hugh Grant opens up about fatherhood journey after becoming dad at 52

Hugh Grant has candidly admitted that he believes he became a father "much too late in life." 

The 64-year-old actor, who welcomed his first child at 52 and has since embraced fatherhood with five children, reflected on how becoming a dad has softened him. 

"Before they came along, I was just a dried-up, middle-aged, golf-addicted Englishman,” he quipped. 

Grant, known for his roles in Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill, joked that sometimes he fantasizes about a “long stint” away from the joyful chaos.

He shares three of his children—Blue, 6, Lulu, 8, and John Mungo, 12—with his wife Anna Eberstein, 41. 

Despite his humour about the late start, he acknowledges that fatherhood has given him a new sense of purpose and "heart."

Now 64, the actor reflected on starting his parenting journey at 52, admitting on the Smartless podcast, “We think it’s five [children], but I had them much too old in life." 

He also shared his pride in his romantic comedy legacy and how fatherhood has deepened his acting abilities. 

Known for his charm in countless rom-coms, he admitted that he feels his craft has evolved with age. 

"I think I was a dried-up, middle-aged, golf-addicted Englishman, then I had children, and suddenly I had heart and more layers," he explained. 

Now, he embraces complex characters rather than the love-stricken leads of his early career.