Chris Lowell calls fatherhood ‘a great gift as an actor’

Chris Lowell is nothing but happy to be a father to a daughter.

The 40-year-old actor, who welcomed his first child with wife Kerry Bishé in 2021, recently shared how becoming a father has influenced his approach to acting.

As he wraps up his Broadway debut in Cult of Love—which concludes its run on February 2 at Second Stage Theater in New York City—Lowell reflected on the unexpected ways parenthood has shaped his career.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Lowell opened up about the transformative experience of being a father.

“They always tell you about how much you’re going to love this person more than you’ve ever loved anything before, so I was prepared for that,” he said. “But I don’t think I was prepared to receive love the way that I do from my daughter.”

Recalling a moment from “not too long ago,” How I Met Your Father star Lowell shared a personal parenting experience. One night, when his daughter woke up needing comfort, he initially felt frustrated.

“I remember throwing the sheets up [and] being so pissed off [over] having to go down there to deal with her,” he admitted. However, his emotions shifted completely once he picked her up.

“All she wants is for me to hold her,” he said. “Like, the idea that I can provide that for someone. There’s just nothing like it.”

Lowell also noted that fatherhood has been a gift to his acting career, allowing him to tap into emotions more freely.

“You think you’ve felt everything and then you have a kid and it just cracks you open,” he explained. “I think, for me, it makes accessing my emotions much easier.”

While Lowell has had a successful career across television and film, stepping onto the Broadway stage for the first time has been a particularly meaningful milestone.

“It is the mountaintop. Every actor, I think when you’re a kid, the go-to thing is that you’re going to be on Broadway someday and to actually be having that experience happening right now is overwhelming,” he said.

With Cult of Love nearing its final performances, Lowell continues to embrace both fatherhood and his evolving career with newfound inspiration.