If
this movie star's life were a film, it would definitely be a family comedy. The
44-year-old "kid trapped in a man's body" can't get enough fun at
home in New York City with his supermodel wife, Christy Turlington, and their
kids Grace, 8, and Finn, 6.
"Christy
and I are on the same page when it comes to our careers: We don't let them
interrupt the kids' lives."
You play a negotiator in your new
movie Man on a Ledge. Do you ever feel like you have to bargain with
your kids? Every minute
of every day! Last night, for example, Grace had homework, but she was more
excited about choosing an outfit for her gymnastics team photo. So I had to
say, "You're only allowed to go to the photo shoot if you tackle that
homework!"
You're a triple threat-writer, actor and
director - of movies including She's the One, Sidewalks of New York and
Newlyweds. Is Christy a tough critic of your work? Definitely. She's been reading my scripts
for 10 years. Early in my career, I was criticized for my female characters
being less well rounded than the males. So now I ask her if the women's voices
sound authentic. She's not afraid to tell me the truth.
Has her fashion sense rubbed off on
you? Probably not as
much as she'd like; my daily uniform is still jeans and Nikes. It's no surprise
she's the one who gets the kids dressed in the mornings. She handles clothes
duty while I make breakfast - my great-grandmother's Swedish pancake recipe is
a real winner with Grace and Finn.
Do the kids realize their parents are
a Hollywood power couple?
Finn is still sort of clueless as to what Christy and I do. He knows we travel
for work and gets upset if we're out of town for more than a day or two. Grace
is starting to get a bit of the acting bug herself but for now it takes a
backseat to her horseback riding and gymnastics obsessions.
So what's your biggest fascination
when it comes to having children?
I'm constantly blown away by the outpouring of affection and pure love when
parents walk in the door. Even if I've only been gone for a few minutes, the
kids run down the hall to give me a hug. It will break my heart if they ever
get too cool for that.
When you have the kids all to
yourself, how do you juggle daddy duties? One of my proudest moments was last fall when Christy
ran the New York City marathon and Grace and Finn and I raced around town on
the subway carrying the handmade signs we'd made the night before. I felt like
I was more exhausted at the end of the day than Christy was!
You're both close to your siblings. Do
you emphasize the importance of family? Every summer we spend a month living at the beach with
our relatives. The kids adore their cousins! So no need to preach—they know
family comes first.
IT'S
ALL RELATIVE
Career Coup
Ed - also known for guest-starring
roles on Entourage and Will & Grace - wrote, directed and starred
in his first film, 1995's The Brothers McMullen. It was made for
$25,000 and went on to earn $10 million. He's written, directed and acted in
nine other "small, talky, relationship films."
Activity Time
"I'm like the Pied Piper with
Grace and Finn, constantly setting up games of kickball, soccer or Wiffle
ball, or creating treasure hunts. We also play the games I loved when I was
young, like Red Light, Green Light."
Happy Hour
"Good conversation and a nice bottle
of wine make the best date nights with Christy."
Words to Live By
"My favorite quote is by ballplayer
Satchel Paige: 'I ain't ever had a job, I just always played baseball.'
That's how I feel about making movies."
