Dennis Holahan joins the podcast today to discuss how he views his parenting and relationship with his children at the age of 78. Dennis has seen it all, from serving in the Vietnam war to starring in the film Scarface, he’s able to share how his life has impacted the lives of his children and grandchildren.

Tune in to hear how Dennis balanced his law and Hollywood careers with the reality of being divorced and being separated from his children. You’ll hear how he managed to work on himself to get out of the dark place of alcoholism and the regret he has from missing a portion of his children’s life. This episode dives into dealing with regret, the balance between protecting, whilst preparing your children and how you should treat your children during a divorce.

Here’s a glance at what you’ll hear from Dennis in this episode: 

• The key takeaways from raising a now 51-year-old daughter
• Why we make promises and how to keep those promises with our daughters
• Having children during the Vietnam war and being separated from them after divorce
• The lessons that parents pass on about divorce and how children interact with those lessons
• The impact that being a recognisable actor has on children
• How to work on yourself to get out of a dark place
• The balance between protection and preparation

Timestamps:

• 0:00 – Introduction
• 0:30 – Who is Dennis Holahan?
• 2:15 – The promises we make to our daughters
• 9:30 – Welcoming Dennis to the show
• 10:30 – Dennis’ background
• 14:30 – The lessons parents and children learn from divorce
• 21:00 – The impact of being an actor and a lawyer
• 24:00 – Starring in Scarface
• 26:40 – How the limelight impacted Dennis’ children
• 28:40 – The aftermath after drinking and using drugs
• 31:45 – The balance between protection and preparation
• 34:20 – Discussing taboo topics
• 36:20 – Feeling and dealing with regret
• 38:30 – How children discuss their feelings
• 41:10 – Seeking therapy and working on yourself
• 46:00 – The conversations Dennis wants with his children
• 50:20 – The definition of a lucky man
• 52:26 – Grandkids watching Scarface

Podcast Links:

• Website: https://thefatherdaughterdance.libsyn.com/website
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/the-father-daughter-dance/id1556215258
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7jb7DO3009t2GOjsTRCwOz
• Email: thefatherdaughterdancepod@gmail.com