James Marsden Says "Being a Father Is the 1 Thing I'm Most Proud Of"
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James Marsden is one of our favorite comedic actors, but fans might not know he's also a loving dad. James has three kids — Jack, Mary James, and William Luca — and he's very dedicated to the trio.
"Of all my achievements in life, being a father is the one thing I'm most proud of. It is the most fulfilling," he told Men's Health back in 2018. "I'm always self-deprecating, but I don't have a problem saying that I am a great dad."
He added that a big part of setting an example for his kids is showing that it's OK to fail. "It takes seeing the hero mess up or fail at something to become a man," he explained. "That, to me, has become more important than being this superstar, movie star, or an actor. It's integrity and substance of character — it's like when sh*t happens to you in hard times, who do you become because of that? Your kids look at you and that's how they define who and what they're supposed to be."
The "Disenchanted" actor shares son Jack and daughter Mary James with his ex-wife, Lisa Linde; they divorced in 2011. He shares his youngest, William Luca, with Brazilian model and ex-girlfriend Rose Costa. Get to know James's three kids ahead.
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Jack Marsden
Born on Feb. 1, 2001, Jack Marsden is James's eldest son, and James has been a proud dad since day one. Back in 2019 for Jack's 18th birthday, James shared a gallery of photos of him and his son over the years on Instagram, including when James and Jack both dressed as James's X-Men character, Cyclops, for Halloween. James took Jack as his date to the 2017 SAG Awards, and James took all three of his kids to the premiere of "Sonic 2" in April 2022.
Jack has worked as a model and even walked during Milan Men's Fashion Week for Dolce & Gabbana in fall/winter 2018/2019. James wrote on Instagram at the time that he "could not be more proud."
More recently, Jack runs his own home recording studio and describes himself on Instagram as a producer, musician, and engineer.
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Mary James Marsden
Mary James Marsden, born Aug. 10, 2005, is the "Dead to Me" actor's only daughter. James has also been effusive about their bond on social media. In a 2018 Instagram post in honor of her birthday, he wrote this about her creativity: "No matter how many years old you grow to be, that magical spirit you lead with will never grow old. It will carry you, through the trees and up into the skies, surrounding you with those colors only your eyes can see."
Mary James doesn't have public-facing social media and stays pretty private, but she joined her brothers at the April 2022 "Sonic 2" premiere.
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William Luca Costa-Marsden
Born on Dec. 14, 2012, William Luca Costa-Marsden is Marsden's third child, whom he shares with former girlfriend Rose Costa. In a 2014 interview with ABC News, James said he wasn't worried when he had William Luca — who's seven years younger than his daughter — that he'd forget about taking care of a newborn or changing diapers. "Once you become a father . . . it's like riding a bike — once you learn it, you sort of got it," he said.
From Costa's Instagram, it seems she and William Luca split their time between Brazil and the United States. James has pulled back from sharing photos of his kids on social media in recent years, but William Luca was with his siblings at the "Sonic 2" premiere in 2022. He also attended a family screening of "Sonic" in 2020 with his dad.