11 Quotes From Sterling K. Brown About Life As A Dad

The “This Is Us” star has two sons.
"This Is Us" star Sterling K. Brown with actress Ryan Michelle Bathe and their two sons, Andrew and Amare, at a Disney resort in Hawaii in 2017.
Handout via Getty Images
"This Is Us" star Sterling K. Brown with actress Ryan Michelle Bathe and their two sons, Andrew and Amare, at a Disney resort in Hawaii in 2017.

Sterling K. Brown is known for portraying Randall Pearson on the tear-jerking hit NBC show “This Is Us.” As a real-life father of two, he has also managed to stir up some emotions with his sweet and funny takes on life as a dad.

Brown has two sons, Andrew and Amare, with his wife, actress Ryan Michelle Bathe. After his historic Golden Globe win for best performance by an actor in a television drama series, he included his family in his acceptance speech, making it clear he may be a household name for some, but for his kids, the role of Dad comes first.

“Ryan Michelle Bathe, I love you so much,” he said. “Thank you for supporting me through this whole thing. To my kids, Andrew and Amare, Daddy will see you. I will take you to school in the morning, I promise.”

For his birthday, here are 11 other quotes about fatherhood from Brown.

On how his experience as a dad influences his work

“I know one day, when they’re old enough, my children will see my body of work, and I hope they’re pleased with what they see. They also have a tremendous sense of play that is awesome to be in the presence of. What they do naturally is what I attempt to recreate in front of the camera.”

The couple's elder son, Andrew, tagged along for the "Black Panther" premiere last year.
Alberto E. Rodriguez via Getty Images
The couple's elder son, Andrew, tagged along for the "Black Panther" premiere last year.

On his first son’s quick delivery

“My wife had her first contraction at 11 p.m. and Andrew came into the world at 2:23 am ― three hours and 23 minutes later. It never happens like that the first time. It’s not supposed to. But my wife is not your ordinary human being, so she does extraordinary things all the time!”

And not being quite ready for it

“She comes crawling out of the bathroom after a while and she says, ‘I think I’m crowning.’ And I’m asleep kind of. I was like, ‘Sweetheart, you can’t be crowning. It’s your first baby. Just try to relax.’ Like I’m telling this woman ― I’m mansplaining what’s happening to her body. She’s like, ‘This joker knows nothing.’”

On being a supportive parent while his son plays sports

“I remember watching that HBO documentary about the sports dads and everything. I was like, ‘God, Brown, please don’t become that guy. Do not become that guy.’ So I take a gauge of the crowd. Are other dads speaking? Or is it just dads speaking? Are moms speaking up, too? I just try to fit in with what the natural flow is of everything. Also not to be dampening for my son. Make sure everything that I am saying is encouraging, supportive, and fun for him. If it is ever not fun for him that means you are saying too much and you need to take a step away.”

Brown said Bathe "does extraordinary things all the time."
Dimitrios Kambouris via Getty Images
Brown said Bathe "does extraordinary things all the time."

On the movies he likes to watch with his family

“I went to the movies with Andrew and we saw ‘Pete’s Dragon.’ My son and I looked at each other at the end of the movie. He asked me if I was crying. I said yeah. He said he was crying, too. It was the first one where we both got on that one. I remember when I went with him to see ‘Inside Out.’ He was too young, but I was a hot mess. He asked me if I was OK. I told him yes. For the first time it got us both. ‘Pete’s Dragon’ was really, really wonderful.”

On nicknames for his boys

“Andrew’s name is Andrew Jason Sterling Brown. He’s got lots of good names. If he ever wants to run for president one day, he’s got options. But I sometimes just call him AJB, the Sterling is almost parenthetical. The baby Amare I really just call ‘Sweet Baby.’ I say, ‘Hi, Sweet Baby.’ That’s his nickname right now.”

On the values he wants to instill in his sons

“Kindness. I feel like if you have the opportunity to be truthful or to be kind, truthfulness should take a backseat to kindness. Kids have this bold way of saying the whole truth. You are like, I appreciate what you are saying and you may be right about that, but was it a nice thing to say ... could it hurt someone’s feelings? Let me see if I can say it in a way that is not hurtful. That is one of the ones that we are working with the 5-year-old right now.”

The "Marshall" actor said his kids keep him grounded.
Ari Perilstein via Getty Images
The "Marshall" actor said his kids keep him grounded.

On the ups and downs of parenting

“It’s one day at a time. There are some days in which you are overwhelmed and there are some days that you’re just so full of joy to be in the presence of youth. And it goes back and forth and back and forth. But the joy of it outweighs whatever cost there is by leaps and bounds.”

On advocating for accessibility to the arts for kids

“As an actor and dad, I know the importance of creating a safe space for kids to experience art and explore their imagination. It gives them an outlet to create and a sense of validation that their unique perspective of the world is important.”

On how his kids keep him grounded

They don’t care about Golden Globes or Emmys or anything else. They just care about like, Yo, are we going to watch this ‘PJ Masks’ right now? Can we get down with this Pokemon?”

On fatherhood overall

“The love of a child, nothing can surpass that.”

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