Alexander Ludwig wasn’t there at the birth of his second child, and he had a valid reason.
The Vikings star, 32, recently shared his experience of becoming a father of two while balancing his demanding career.
Speaking to People, the actor opened up about welcoming his son, Townes, in July. He and wife Lauren also share 20-month-old daughter Leni.
Reflecting on the birth of Townes, Ludwig described the moment as “incredible,” though he missed the big day due to work commitments on his new series, Earth Abides.
He revealed, “In some weird, crazy universe, my life off screen was paralleling my life on screen. When something incredibly significant happened to my son in the show, that same day, my son was being born.”
While Ludwig knew missing the birth was a possibility, the emotional toll still caught him off guard.
“Lauren and I had planned for this. Truthfully, if I had a rocket ship, I wouldn’t have been able to make it to the hospital in time. But there was this well of emotion I had no problem dipping into, because it was so real and at the forefront of my mind.”
The actor finally met his baby boy a week later and described the moment as overwhelming.
“I was just a mess. When I finally got to meet him, I was sobbing. My wife was just such a rockstar. I don’t know how she does it.”
Fatherhood has deeply impacted Ludwig’s outlook on life and his craft. He admitted that being a dad has “totally” changed his approach to acting.
“Honestly, I’d be willing to bet that I wouldn’t have had the offer for this job had I not been a father.”
He added, “It has changed my approach to everything. I think I have this depth to me that I didn’t know existed. I’ve realized what actually matters. I just want to be the most present father I can be, and I have to start by being a good example.”
