Six Celebrity Dads Who Chose Their Kids over Making Millions Fame

On November 8, 2022, we celebrate a day with an essential purpose – National Parents as Teachers Day. Three iconic actors and famous singers sacrificed their blossoming careers to be with their children full-time to raise and teach them.

Each year on November 8, Americans celebrate National Parents as Teachers Day. The day was started in 2001 in St. Louis, Missouri, by an organization called the Parents as Teachers National Center.

The special day was created to encourage parents to support children in their well-being and educational goals. According to research, parents being involved in their children’s lives led to them having a more remarkable ability to learn new things like writing and reading and the child’s general development.

A father working from home with his son studying next to him while holding his baby | Source: Getty Images

The commemoration of the day intends to push parents into raising a new generation of healthy and happy children. Raising and teaching children useful things was so important that even some male celebrities dedicated their time to their children instead of focusing on building their careers.

Three Super Famous Male Actors Who Sacrificed Their Careers for Their Children

In a 2005 USA Today interview, Rick Moranis revealed that he’d stopped making movies in 1996 or 1997 because he was a single parent. The “Cowboy” star explained that he found it difficult to raise his children and travel while making films, so he took a break.

Rick Moranis and his children at the premiere of “The Nutcracker” on November 21, 1993, in New York City | Source: Getty Images

What was meant to be a short break became more extended, and eventually, he realized he didn’t miss his career. He turned them down when he was offered acting roles and wasn’t sure he’d return to the industry.

Moranis was writing and parenting a lot at the time. The star began focusing on raising his two children alone in 1991 after his wife passed away, and 20 years later, in 2020, he returned to the small screen for a Mint Mobile commercial.

Rick Moranis and his daughter at a Raffi concert on September 16, 1989, at Carnegie Hall in New York City | Source: Getty Images

Another star, James Caan, lost his marriage to his wife Sheila Ryan in 1977. The actor said in the late 1970s, he was on top and number one at the box office, but he ended up taking six years off from his career.

By 1982, things went wrong in James’s personal and professional life, as he lost his home and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) told him he owed hundreds of thousands of dollars. The star’s passion for work was lost, and he wanted to disappear for a while.

James and Scott Caan at Greg Gorman’s birthday party on June 29, 1989, at Tramp’s in Beverly Hills, California | Source: Getty Images

For the next six years, he coached boys’ baseball, with his son Scott playing the sport, soccer, and basketball on teams James coached. The actor ended up relocating with his family to a cabin near Park City, Utah, for his and his family’s health.

Another celebrity who gave up his career and focused on his children was Dean Cain. The star had been sharing custody of his son, Christopher, with his ex-girlfriend, Samantha Torres, from 2003 after an 18-month court battle until he won sole custody in 2011, with him saying:

“It affected my career like I can’t even explain. I turned down being one of, if not the highest-paid actor on television, for a show that ended up going six years.”

Dean Cain and son Christopher during the “Home on the Range” premiere in Hollywood, California, on March 21, 2004 | Source: Getty Images

The attractive contract was pitched while Dean was disputing custody, and he had to choose between the job or fatherhood, and he made the decision quicker than a split second. When he got sole custody, it was because he and Torres had mutually agreed to allow their son to be raised in one household, with Dean recalling:

“As soon as I was presented the choice, it was like, ‘I’m going to be a dad.'”

Christopher and Dean Cain during Aspen Peak at the Opening of The New Ralph Lauren Aspen Store in Aspen, Colorado, on December 30, 2004 | Source: Getty Images

The “Vendetta” star said it was vital for him to choose fatherhood; he didn’t regret his decision and said he’d never change his choice. Besides the abovementioned celebrities, three more male stars made the same sacrifice.

Three Famous Male Singers Who Sacrificed Their Careers for Their Children

During the last five years of his life, John Lennon became more domesticated at New York City’s Dakota apartment building. There he dedicated his life to raising his young son, Sean.

John Lennon poses for a photo with his wife Yoko Ono, and son Sean Lennon, in New York City, in 1977 | Source: Getty Images

He also focused on nurturing his strained marriage with Yoko Ono. In 1976, the musician focused on taking primary care of his son; he baked him bread, walked the boy through Central Park, and called himself a “house husband.”

His wife managed the family’s businesses. According to the author of “Lennon Revealed,” Larry Kane, during those years, John was the “most notable stay-at-home” father in America.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono with their son Julian in 1969 | Source: Getty Images

However, it was seen as unusual for a middle-aged man during that time, with a 2013 Pew Research article saying only two percent of American households had such a structure from 1976 to 1979.

In 2000, Garth Brooks gave up his career to raise his daughters, Taylor, August, and Allie, from his first marriage to Sandy Mahl. He explained how nothing was better than being a father.

Garth struggled to adjust to the change after he and Mahl divorced as he settled with his children in a one-bathroom bunkhouse on his Oklahoma ranch. The singer would stare at the trio whose dispositions and “sweet faces” he knew but didn’t know who they were.

Chris [Cagle] explained how he’d enjoyed his career but wanted to go home with “dignity.”

He combined fun with discipline and thrived with days filled with ranch chores, packing school lunches, and doing after-school activities. The country singer felt part of a community with other fathers who attended soccer matches.

Garth Brooks and his wife Sandy Brooks with their baby at the Hollywood Bowl on July 15, 1994 | Source: Getty Images

Garth described his children as his “greatest joy and the greatest heartache!” He felt that as long as his children were healthy, he could deal with anything else, like them getting D’s or failing at school.

The star taught them manners, introduced them to his faith, and taught them to believe in themselves, but he knew they would be who they were regardless. In 2015, all three girls graduated high school.

Another singer, Chris Cagle, gave up his successful career after being in it for 15 years. He explained how something happened to him when he became a father and welcomed his first biological child, Stella.

The musician said he just wanted to be “better at everything.” On November 1, 2015, Chris took to his Facebook account and revealed he was going home to be a father and a husband as he enjoyed his life.

Chris explained how he’d enjoyed his career but wanted to go home with “dignity.” The singer shared images of his two daughters and how he was tired of missing out on special moments with his children.