Meet Chris O'Donnell's Five Kids And Wife Caroline

Chris O'Donnell has been a notable face on television screens for as long as we can remember. While he's most-known for his portrayal of Grisha Callen in "NCIS: Los Angeles," his three-decade-long resume is beyond incredible, given he's starred alongside the legendary Al Pacino in "Scent of a Woman," a young Drew Barrymore in the midst of her stunning transformation in "Mad Love," and the late Val Kilmer in "Batman Forever." Coming from a family of seven — all of whom were familiar with the entertainment industry through their father — Chris is a traditional family man, oftentimes prioritizing his home life over his career.

From meeting his wife, Caroline O'Donnell, on the brink of his acting success, Chris wasted no time building that coveted family life he had known since childhood. The two became the parents of five: Lily, Chip, Charlie, Finley, and Maeve O'Donnell. That, more than anything, became the aspect of life he's cherished the most. He'd express this notion during his 2013 appearance on TLC's "Who Do You Think You Are?" "Until you have children, you just have no idea what it means to love somebody," he said. "I mean, you would literally stand in front of a moving train or something for them." Despite being relatively private, Chris, Caroline, and their children all lead interesting lives, making their connection remarkable to bear witness to.

The early 1990s proved to be a pivotal time for Chris O'Donnell — his acting career was taking shape, and this was also when he'd meet the love of his life, Caroline. In a 2010 interview with Red Book Magazine, Chris suggested that for him, it was love at first sight. During this time, Chris lived in the same apartment complex as Caroline's brother, Andrew. In fact, Andrew was the connective link between Chris and Caroline; Chris would meet Caroline while she was visiting Andrew at his apartment.

Despite sharing a "smooch," Chris wouldn't see Caroline for three years after their brief encounter. "One night, I was out with Andrew and said, 'What is that little sister of yours up to? Let's give her a call,'" he explained. "So we did, and she was like, 'Why are you calling me?' I didn't really know why, except that I had never forgotten her." It wouldn't take long for the two to start up a relationship. By 1997, their bond culminated in a wedding ceremony held in Washington D.C., at St. Patrick's Catholic Church. "I was in the right place earlier than I thought," he admitted. "I would think to myself, 'Could I imagine not marrying her?' And there was just no way."

With Chris and Caroline O'Donnell fast-tracking their way toward marriage, it would only take them two years after their wedding to start their family. On September 3, 1999, Chris and Caroline introduced their firstborn, Lily Anne O'Donnell. Lily was born in New Zealand, where, at the time, Chris was filming for "Vertical Limit." In retrospect, this had all the makings of a memorable birth, but that wouldn't be due to their location.

When it was time for Lily's birth, Chris tackled many more responsibilities than he would've liked to. During a 2018 appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," Chris described his first instance of being in a delivery room. It proved too hard for him to handle; he passed out while Caroline was giving birth to Lily. "The doctor was on his way, he wasn't quite there yet, but the baby was ready, and they had a midwife, and suddenly had a leg over my shoulder, and was a little more involved than I had anticipated," he explained. When Colbert asked Chris how his inclusion in the delivery went, he stated that he "didn't make it ... I hit the deck," he said. "Yeah, I fainted."

As the daughter of a renowned actor, it made sense for Lily O'Donnell to want to enter the entertainment industry. She had the privilege to travel with Chris to various sets, red carpet premieres, and even tried her hand at acting herself, but none of it was enough to put her education on hold. Lily attended Boston College beginning in 2018 for a bachelor's degree in film studies, the same college Chris graduated from in 1992 with a marketing degree.

Lily earned her degree in 2022 and wasted no time putting it to use. Lily completed a marketing internship in London, England, shortly after graduating from Boston College. She'd later use this experience as a launching pad for her most notable role to date. After relocating to New York City, Lily obtained a job in domestic TV and digital distribution for Lionsgate. From 2023 onward, Lily has kept this gig.

Born Christopher "Chip" Eugene O'Donnell Jr. on October 24, 2000, Chip was the first son Chris and Caroline O'Donnell had. Aside from a heavy interest in sports, not much is known about Chip besides his connection to his family. While keeping a low profile through most of his life, headlines began to circulate regarding his long-awaited acting debut. With Lily, Charlie, Finley, and Meave, acting almost seemed inevitable as they all made cameos in "NCIS: Los Angeles." During Chris' interview with "New York Live" in 2016, he described the show as a complete family affair. "It's complete nepotism," he quipped. "My mom, my wife, four of the children, one of my sons has not been on, and he's a little bit angry about it, to be honest with you."

This happened to be Chip, who, in an unfortunate turn of events, was slotted to appear in "NCIS: Los Angeles" in 2022, but didn't. According to Chris during a 2022 appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," COVID-19 played a significant role in this not coming to fruition. "My oldest son has not been on. He had a nice part he was supposed to do, but somebody got COVID, and that didn't happen," he stated. Luckily, Chip finally got to be part of "NCIS: Los Angeles" in 2023 for the series finale, portraying young Callen in a flashback.

On July 11, 2003, Chris and Caroline O'Donnell introduced their second son, Charles "Charlie" McHugh O'Donnell, to their ever-growing family. Similar to his older brother, Chip, Charlie led a relatively private life as the middle child. Most notable, however, are his varying interests. As stated previously, each of Chris' children had a chance to appear in "NCIS: Los Angeles," but, out of all of his siblings, Charlie appeared to be the most invested in the art of performing.

In 2016, Chris appeared on "New York Live" and spoke candidly about his family. While discussing his stint on the 14-season CBS crime drama spectacle, Chris was asked whether his children have any interest in following in his footsteps. He made it apparent that, while most of his kids are content with just being kids, Charlie was a particular case. At the time of the interview, Chris shared that Charlie earned himself a lead role in a musical. "There's a 'Legally Blonde' play, a musical. So, [Charlie] got one of the lead roles in that, and he's into it!" he explained. "He's an interesting little kid. He's a really good golfer, and he plays guitar, and now he's doing these shows."

Born on March 24, 2006, Finley O'Donnell is Chris and Caroline O'Donnell's fourth child. With their family now increasing in size, and with ages ranging from 7 to 4, chaos was bound to ensue in their growing household. However, the two were more seasoned as parents this time around, making Finley an easier child to take care of altogether.

According to Chris' 2007 interview with People, in addition to prioritizing what he and Caroline worried about as parents, Chris told the publication they'd "mellowed out." Luckily for him, Finley's inclusion didn't add to the already existing chaos in his household, and he and Caroline took a more reserved approach to caring for Finley during his earlier years. "With the first baby, when she cried, we'd think, 'Oh my God, what do we do now?'" he said. "But with Finley, our fourth — he's the easiest baby ever, and I think that has a lot to do with the fact that we're much more relaxed these days."

To Chris and Caroline O'Donnell's surprise, the two welcomed Maeve Frances O'Donnell on December 10, 2007, after initially planning to stop at four children. The two, however, deeply wanted a daughter, and, according to Chris' 2010 interview with Red Book Magazine, he and Caroline couldn't imagine their life without their youngest. Aside from this being their fifth time raising a child together, Chris outlined numerous instances where it felt like they were starting all over again as parents, such as figuring out who'd tend to a crying Maeve at 6 a.m. or, in Chris' case, splitting time between being a working actor and a parent. It understandably took up his time. So much so that he'd admit that he wasn't keen on photographing Maeve during her earlier days as a baby.

This revelation came during his 2008 appearance on "Live with Regis and Kelly," noting that this was one specific aspect of Maeve's childhood that differed from her elder siblings (via People). "My daughter Lily's the oldest, and by the time she was six months, we just had books of photos," he recalled. "Poor little Maeve, who's six months old now ... My mom hasn't met her yet, and last night she said, 'Show me some pictures!' I'm looking through my phone like, 'Well, I got a couple, but they're from two months ago...'"

Chris O'Donnell's portrayal of Robin in the 1995 film "Batman Forever" was a major role for the actor. This eventually led to his reprisal in "Batman & Robin," alongside George Clooney's depiction of Batman. According to Chris, however, the role wasn't just a big hit amongst the public. Once his kids were old enough, Chris shared his on-screen performances — particularly in the "Batman" films and "The Three Musketeers" — with Lily, Chip, Charlie, and Finley O'Donnell since he thought those films were child-appropriate.

In a 2007 interview with People, Chris suggested that his kids loved him as Robin. So much so that they'd insist on sifting through the items Chris got to keep while filming the Batman movies. "Every once in a while, I [would hear], 'Dad, can we please look at it. We need to look at it. You're our Dad, and you're Robin,'" he recalled. In a 2010 interview with Red Book Magazine, Chris even described an instance where a 3-year-old Chip announced that his father was Batman's right-hand man while they were on a plane. "I used to try to be really low-key on airplanes, with my hat pulled down ... When Chip was 3, as soon as we sat down, he said, 'My dad was Robin in the Batman movie,'" Chris stated. "I was like, 'Oh, my god. How are you guys doing?' I give up."

Growing up in a Catholic household, Chris O'Donnell adopted those same religious values throughout his life, and so did his wife, Caroline O'Donnell. According to a speech he gave to Boston College students in 2016, the concept of faith proved to be an important aspect of his journey to success. It makes sense that the same way he preached about this to college students would be the same way he taught it to his kids, Lily, Chip, Charlie, Finley, and Maeve O' Donnell.

In a 2008 interview with Sarah's Backstage Pass, his relationship with his faith is one he made sure his kids not only bear witness to, but also practice themselves. When asked about his religious values, Chris noted how important it was for his children to devote themselves to a higher being, whether it aligned with his specific beliefs or not. "I go to church all the time and take my kids. I think it's important to raise your kid in some kind of tradition, not necessarily Catholic," he stated. "I think it's a good foundation and structured way to raise your children ... I'm not some raging religious guy, but I like to go to church just to sit there and think. I may not even be paying attention to what they're talking about, but in my own mind I know my kids are learning a lot and it's just a good framework."

With the COVID-19 pandemic, most of us were forced to stay in the confines of our own homes. Celebrities, in particular, had nuanced experiences since it caused numerous projects to prematurely end. While "General Hospital" star Maurice Benard struggled during the pandemic, other names, such as Katie Holmes, saw the pandemic as a precious gift for family life. The experience was bittersweet for Chris and Caroline O'Donnell, who were excited to have Lily, Chip, Charlie, Finley, and Maeve O'Donnell all at home at the same time, because it's been a rarity for them as the kids got older.

He'd express this during his interview with "CBS 8 San Diego," stating that the pandemic had some "silver linings" to it. Ultimately, though, he found out just how stressful a time it was for his kids. In addition to reiterating how important it is for his older kids to have their own personal space from time to time, Chris told Kelly and Mark on "Live with Kelly and Mark" in 2020 that his younger children had an odd time navigating Zoom schooling. "We have three at home, they're all in their room every day doing their Zoom calls, which is tough," he said. "I mean, it's not easy for every kid, every student. One of my daughters is starting a new school, so it's hard to meet new kids."

As a parent of five, Chris O'Donnell can identify with the role of a doting father. What he may not describe himself as is someone involved in the latest trends that his children are likely familiar with. So, when an opportunity for a CBS reality television show came to Chris, it was expected that he would be slightly apprehensive. This offshoot project later transformed into "Come Dance with Me," a parent-child dance competition. Surprisingly enough, the inspiration for the show came from his youngest daughter, Maeve O'Donnell.

During a 2022 appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," Chris described the conception of the show and why he fully signed on to create it with his "NCIS: Los Angeles" co-star, LL Cool J. Through this, he spoke about how Maeve's participation in the latest dance trends in 2020 caused him to develop the core of the show altogether. "All of a sudden, COVID hits. We're sitting around, we're spending a lot of time with the family in the houses, and I'm watching my little Maeve dance, and I'm going, 'She's got some pretty good moves. Where did she learn that?" he said. "And it's TikTok. It was all TikTok ... And so the idea of a parent-child dance competition show just kind of started to make more sense."