How Chad Michael Murray Keeps His 3 Kids 'Protected' Amid Fatherhood Bliss

Chad Michael Murray has been a Hollywood heartthrob since 2000 — but his favorite title is “dad.”

“I have three little babies, and I want to keep them as protected as I can,” Murray, 43, told Parade in an interview published on Wednesday, July 16. “That’s my first priority.”

The Freakier Friday actor noted that since welcoming his three children with wife Sarah Roemer, he has stopped doing “dark work” for the betterment of the family. Because he considers himself to be an “all-or-nothing kind of guy,” playing more sinister characters left him to “carry that energy” back home. In the end, that wasn’t what he wanted for his loved ones.

“So right now, I think for me, it’s like the idea of doing something in the Sonic the Hedgehog world [of] movies, Harold and the Purple Crayon or something about the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus for right now,” he said of his current dream projects. “Stuff where, who knows? My kids will watch it and be like, ‘OK, Dad’s kind of cool.’”

Murray shares one son, 10, and two daughters, 8, and 23 months, with Roemer, 40. The couple, who tied the knot in September 2014, have chosen to keep their kids’ names private.

For the One Tree Hill alum, being an active parent has always been his plan. Murray even made a vow to Roemer to ensure that neither of them would fall into the single-parent category, especially because of a job.

“When Sarah and I got together, we made a little pact that we would keep ‘The Pack’ together no matter what we are going to do,” Murray explained, referring to his family’s nickname. “If she wants to go to work, great, I’ll take off, and I’ll travel, and I’ll watch the kids and vice versa.”

He shared, “That was the deal that we made. We didn’t want to spend time apart because I wanted to have kids, and I wanted to be a father. I wanted to be dad. I wanted to be right there. I didn’t want kids to then just miss six months of their life.”

Murray’s decision to be a hands-on dad was influenced by his own father, Rex, whom he calls his “superhero.”

“I wouldn’t have the life and the kids I have right now if it weren’t for my dad,” Murray reflected, gushing over his dad’s ability to raise five kids on his own. “He gave us the opportunity to have a chance in life, to go get a job, to live out our dreams, and I’m so grateful for that. He’s just got such a big selfless heart.”

Like his dad, Murray has always supported his kids’ ideas and passions. So much so, that the actor was dressed in pink pants during his Parade interview in solidarity with his two daughters and their favorite color.

“I have two little baby girls, so I’m always wearing pink. I can’t help it. … [It] puts me in a good mood. I love it,” Murray said. “And the girls like it. So now we can match.”

He concluded that parenthood is his greatest gift — and one that he is excited to share with his little ones as they grow. “The one thing that is always there is the family,” Murray added. “No matter where we are.”