By Kayla DeKraker
Actor Tony Hale might have a slew of major titles to his name, but his most important role is that of a present father.
“It’s coming alongside your child,” Hale told Fatherly of what fatherhood means to him. “Life is tough and being, hopefully, a person that they can lean on but not feel that they have to lean on you. A parent’s not one who makes them feel guilty if they’re not leaning on them, but you’re always there if they need you, you’re there, you know?”
The actor, who plays Forky in the TOY STORY franchise, added, “You were really in their lives for a certain point, and then later in life, it’s just like, ‘Hey, when you need me, I’m always going to be here and that presence.’”
Hale shares daughter Loy Ann Hale with Martel Thompson, his wife since 2003.
He takes his role as dad seriously, and his daughter leaving for college in 2024 was a big change.
Related: Tony Hale Explores Grief, Fatherhood and Feeling Emotions in SKETCH
“She’s going to create her own path and forge her own path,” the INSIDE OUT star said at the time. “It’s really beautiful and it’s daunting.”
He worked hard not to pass on his anxiety struggles to his daughter but trusts that God filled in the parenting areas where he messed up.
“Yes, I’m going to screw up. Yes, parenting feels overwhelming at times. No, I will never be 100 percent present all the time. But thankfully, I have the grace of God to walk me through it all — and McFlurrys on the days when that doesn’t seem like enough,” Hale joked previously.
His fans appreciate his wholesome approach to fatherhood.
“Great human being. No surprise he’s a great Dad too,” one fan commented on Fatherly’s post. Another said, “Tony is, by all accounts, a genuinely good guy.”
Fathers play a major role in their children’s lives. According to the Institute for Research on Poverty, “positive father involvement is associated with children’s higher academic achievement; greater school readiness; stronger math and verbal skills; greater emotional security; higher self-esteem; fewer behavioral problems; and greater social competence than found among children who do not have caring, involved fathers.”
Ephesians 6:4 has a special encouragement and mission for dads. It says, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
As Father’s Day approaches this month, let’s take a moment to acknowledge the important role of fathers and the immense impact they have on our families and society.
Read Next: Actor Tony Hale: I Trust God With The Bigger Picture of My Life
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