Michael Weatherly may have decided nearly three decades ago that he wanted to make acting his career, even leaving college to do so, but at the end of the day, his top priority is being a father.
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The former NCIS star has three children, two with his wife Bojana Janković, who he married in 2009: Olivia, ten, and Liam, nine, plus 26-year-old August from his previous marriage to Amelia Heinle.
Though his departure from NCIS in 2016 was heartbreaking to many fans, it spurred a huge change in his children's lives, who were at the "critical" ages of four and two-and-a-half when their father left the show and was able to spend more time with them.
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The actor spoke with People Magazine at the time of his exit from the long running series, and opened up about how welcome it was in his family.
"The kids are very excited to have me around, mostly because I'm wrapped around their little fingers," he said then.
He also spoke about how it was definitely an adjustment for the family, detailing how he was balancing being authoritative without upsetting his children.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe star and his family live in New York City
"I'm just a sucker and I’m trying very hard to be authority dad," he explained, adding that: "As a lot of working parents know, when you're not around a lot and then you're with your kids, it's very hard to just come in and be the strict one because then you're just an [expletive]" but maintaining that: "You don't want to be too soft."
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Still, while he may miss being a part of NCIS, he insisted the pay-off, being able to spend more time with his family, is undoubtedly a worthy reward.
He recently gave a glimpse into his family's Halloween festivities
Michael said: "I think a lot about the kids and the time I get to spend with them now, at this age of four and two-and-a-half, which is such a critical time."
He also joked: "They just have some extraordinary things going on in their lives and they have great questions for me about why frogs and crickets make sort of the same sound."
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