Rodrigo Santoro is probably best known as the incredibly hot “enigmatic chief designer, Karl” from Love Actually. He’s appeared in several other things, including Westworld, but when I hear his name, my mind immediately takes me back to Sarah’s attic bedroom and a shirtless Karl sitting on the edge of her bed, waiting for her to come to her senses. Anyway, in real life, Rodrigo found love with beautiful Brazilian actress, Mel Fronckowiak, and they have a two-year-old daughter. While promoting his Hulu show, Reprisal, for which he is getting good reviews, Rodrigo stopped by People Now where he ended up speaking about fatherhood in a very real way:

What Rodrigo’s said about being a father:

What makes you the most nervous now, in your regular life?
I’m a father now, that makes me nervous. The world is so crazy and I’m always thinking about my daughter and going, “whoa, is she okay?” So I think that’s more scary than sky-diving.

What’s the best part about fatherhood?
Just what changes in your life. It’s not about you, anymore. It’s really about somebody else. But that love is so giant that, you know, everything makes sense. You’re definitely living a completely different life. And learning so much on a daily basis.

What’s the biggest lesson that you think you’ve learned, so far?
I’ve been learning to rediscover simpler things. Kids, they look at the world and they’re constantly discovering things. And we grow up and there are so many things that we’re distracted by and there are so many responsibilities as an adult and the next thing you know, you aren’t paying attention to the simple things, important things, that are all around you.

I kind of love Rodrigo’s answers here, not just because I agree but he put them in such a relatable way. I over explain my very complex feelings about being a parent constantly. And the truth is, all of those feelings boil down to “are my kids okay?” Sure there are layers to it, but this is ultimately what I ask about every part of my kids’ lives. It can be from fear because, as Rodrigo said, “the world is so crazy.” But it can also come from knowing their anxiety about a test or friendship drama. Or knowing that they are nursing a broken heart. If we had crystal balls, we’d use them solely to answer that one question, “are you okay?”

I also love Rodrigo’s answer about rediscovering the simpler things. It is true that being around a kid, even if it isn’t your own, reminds us in what things we used to find joy and how distracted from them we’ve become. It seems especially true during the holidays. Watching a child discover some magic during the holidays reignites our own.

You know what else makes me feel young again? Karl’s shirtless scene.

Photo credit: WENN Photos