Chris O’Donnell may have once lit up the big screen as Batman’s sidekick Robin and romanced moviegoers in Scent of a Woman, but today, the former teen heartthrob is a full-fledged family man — and he’s doing it all without a nanny. With five kids, a 13-year marriage to wife Caroline, and a starring role on NCIS: Los Angeles, Chris proves that you can have it all — even if it means booking plane tickets in batches of eight and surviving airport security with projectile vomit.
During a sun-soaked photo shoot in Venice, California, the 39-year-old actor is swarmed by his energetic brood — arms clinging, feet tugging, laughter erupting. It’s chaotic, sure, but Chris wouldn’t have it any other way. “I’m the youngest of seven,” he laughs. “So I didn’t know any different.”
O’Donnell rose to fame in the ‘90s with hits like Fried Green Tomatoes and Circle of Friends, and nearly headlined Men in Black — a role he turned down to prioritize the life he really wanted: family. “I knew I couldn’t have it both ways,” he explains. “I could live the playboy lifestyle or have a traditional family life. And that was more important to me.”
He and Caroline, who met through her brother (and Chris’s then-neighbor), have built a grounded, joyful life in Los Angeles, hosting neighborhood flag football games and embracing the whirlwind of large-family life. “I knew from the first kiss that there was something special,” Chris says of his now-wife. “I just never forgot her.”
Even with five kids — Lily, Chip, Finley, Maeve, and Wyatt — the couple makes time for each other. Their secret? After 8 p.m., it’s their time. “We had tapas and sangria last Friday and got home at 12:15. That’s a wild night out for us now,” Chris laughs. Weekends away help, too, even if the morning wake-up call from their youngest is relentless.
When it comes to being a dad, Chris tries to lead by example. “My dad didn’t preach hard work — we just saw it,” he says. “I’ve learned I can’t come home from a long day and snap at the kids. Caroline is more laid-back, and I’m lucky. We balance each other.”
And while he may have once tried to blend in with a baseball cap on flights, today he owns the circus. “I pre-announce to the passengers, ‘I want to apologize in advance,’” he jokes. But chaos or not, he’s grateful. “When I’m sitting in the backyard with a glass of wine, watching the kids goof around, that’s what it’s all about.”
Lucky in Love: Caroline O’Donnell on Her Swoony Husband
Caroline O’Donnell shares what makes Chris swoon-worthy beyond the spotlight.
Was Chris always your heartthrob?
“I’ve always been attracted to him — even when he looked 10,” she laughs. “Watching him grow into a heartthrob has been fun.”
Does fatherhood make him even hotter?
“Absolutely. He plays a vital role in our kids’ lives — that’s a huge turn-on. I knew he’d be a great dad from how he was with his nieces and nephews.”
How did fatherhood change him?
“It toughened him up. At our first birth, the midwife told him to grab a leg — and he fainted! For the next four, he stuck near my head… with a beer.”
What’s his best dad move?
“He’s the fun one — not nearly as strict as I am. He’ll bring home Ho-Hos and try to convince me they have vitamins. He’s hilarious.”
For Chris O’Donnell, it’s not the red carpet or fame that makes life fulfilling — it’s the mess, the love, the laughter… and maybe a few Ho-Hos on the side.
