From the moment Chad Michael Murray pulled down his jeans and revealed the “Naughty Elf” underwear he was wearing in Merry Gentleman, I was immediately hooked. The former teen heartthrob is all grown up in his new Netflix holiday rom-com, where he strips down for the cameras — and gifts delicious views of his 6-pack abs to everyone. The movie, co-starring Brit Robertson, will undoubtedly get your heart going (“all I want for Christmas is you” takes on a whole new meaning), but the way Murray is with his baby girl is even sexier. The Freaky Friday alum opened up about dad duties with his three kids, who he shares with wife Sarah Roemer, and we have never been more attracted to him.
The 43-year-old sat down with Interview Magazine, where he was actually a little late to the Zoom call because, as he says, “My wife was out and I was napping with the baby.” Our hearts are basically already in a puddle imagining Murray just cozying up with his 1-year-old daughter, whose name has not been revealed.
During the interview, the One Tree Hill alum shared his priorities, which are all about his kids. “My goal in life is to just be a great father, a great husband,” Murray said. “I love being an actor. But at the end of the day, the real grassroots thing for me was being a family man. I had to find the right partner for that. And I had to go through the right experiences and the wrong experiences to get there.”
But with the resurgence of his career — he’s also in the CW show Sullivan’s Crossing and is set to join Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis for Freakier Friday — Murray credits his kids with helping him stay humble.
“My 15-month-old daughter whose diaper I just changed, she’ll keep me in check,” he said with a laugh, adding, “So will my nine-year-old [son], my wife, and my seven-year-old [daughter].” I’m not one to praise dads for doing the bare minimum (watching their children, changing their diapers), but the way he just casually alludes to this totally normal, everyday part of his life is what makes him so sexy. Other dads might admit to changing diapers if they were straight-up asked, but he volunteers the information like it’s the most natural thing in the world, probably because he is just so used to it. A true king.
When it comes to acting, Murray shared that becoming a dad gave him “a different appreciation” for the work. “I think that there’s a moment when you have kids, for me at least, where something changes in your brain, this chemical thing of wanting to protect, and take care of them, and show them a fearless environment that kicks in,” he said. “And it’s like, ‘You’ve been peed on, on a plane, in front of people. Let’s go out there and act.’”
Earlier this year, Murray told Numérothat his kids influence his acting decisions, too. He shared that “the last thing” he wants is for his kids to be “berated” because of his film choices. “I don’t want my kids going to school, being freshmen in high school, and Dad’s butt posted all over their locker. That’s not fair to them, so making decisions for that has been great,” he said, referring to the reason he won’t do any nudity right now.
He also shared that he brings his family with him when he travels for work. “It’s important that they’re here because I don’t believe in breaking up the pack to the point where they’re like, ‘Oh, dad’s on another trip,’” he said. And for me, I wouldn’t trade this for anything, no matter the amount of success, it doesn’t matter. It trumps all of that.” Swoon!
Before you go, check out these hot, famous dads.
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