The hottest dads in Hollywood

For millions of women around the world, Brad Pitt is the de facto president of the Hot Dads Club. Not only do he and fiancee Angelina Jolie make globe-trotting with six kids -- Maddox, 10, Pax, 8, Zahara, 7, Shiloh, 6, and 3-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne -- look effortless (and even chic!), this insanely gorgeous 48-year-old father inspires us to open our hearts to kids from all corners of the earth. And while he admits their large brood "seems extreme," he wouldn't have it any other way. "I'm satisfied with making true choices and finding the woman I love, Angie, and building a family that I love so much. A family is a risky venture, because the greater the love, the greater the loss," Pitt told Parade. "That's the trade-off. But I'll take it all."

Somehow Johnny Depp manages to translate his wacky, brooding screen persona into heartfelt, fun-loving parenting. The father of two children, Lily-Rose, 13, and Jack, 10, with his former partner, French singer Vanessa Paradis, the sultry star, 49, says that fatherhood has given life a profound meaning: "You can't plan the kind of deep love that results in children," he has said. "Fatherhood was not a conscious decision. It was part of the wonderful ride I was on. It was destiny; kismet. All the math finally worked."

If you're like millions of other women around the globe, you probably thought model Camila Alves was beyond lucky when she snagged Matthew McConaughey, who was undeniably one of Hollywood's hottest bachelors. After all, the surfing Texan with the six-pack abs makes us laugh and swoon at the same time. But it turns out his two children, Levi, who'll turn 4 in July, and 2-year-old Vida are equally lucky: He's a good dad, too. People's 2005 Sexiest Man Alive, 42, told the magazine that fatherhood is a "wild, wonderful adventure" and that childhood should be one, too. To that end, the newlywed (who tied the knot with Camila on June 9) is toting his kids all over the globe. About Levi, he said: "Well, that child is probably going to fill his passport pretty quickly. Culture and travel's been the best education I've had in my life and my child's going to have that, hopefully."

Taye Diggs may play a doctor on Private Practice, but in real life the 41-year-old heartthrob is completely in awe of having brought new life into this world -- namely, his 2-year-old son, Walker Nathaniel. "It's been amazing just to come home to that little dude," Diggs, who's married to 41-year-old singer-actress Idina Menzel, told People. "Every time I leave the house, it just makes me want to come back even more. It's just a great prize waiting for me."

Tom Brady knows his way around a football field and a nursery! The 34-year-old New England Patriots quarterback first became a dad when ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan gave birth to their son in 2007 (after they had already split). At the time, the handsome athlete kept quiet about his personal life -- but in the years since, Brady says fatherhood has changed his perspective on life in general: "It's like, an hour commitment used to be a big commitment, and now you chase a little boy around for eight hours a day, waiting to catch him if he falls and changing his dirty diaper. You think, How crazy is this?" he explained in a later Details article. Brady now has two sons -- John Moynahan, 4, and 2-year-old Benjamin (pictured) with model wife Gisele Bundchen (who is rumored to be expecting again).

From a swashbuckler in Pirates of the Caribbean to an elf in Lord of the Rings, 35-year-old Orlando Bloom has taken on all sorts of roles. His newest gig? Playing dad to 1-year-old Flynn, his adorable son with wife Miranda Kerr. So how does fatherhood stack up against Bloom's other jobs? "I love it," the toned hottie recently told Hollyscoop. "I hate that word but I love being a father; it’s changed everything in so many ways."

Jude Law's irresistible English accent and baby-blue eyes aren't the only things landing him on our Hottest Dads list. We also love his commitment to his kids! The Sherlock Holmes star, 39, has three kids with ex-wife Sadie Frost -- sons Rafferty, 15, and Rudy, 9, (pictured) and daughter Iris, 11 (pictured) -- as well as 2-year-old daughter Sophia with model Samantha Burke. In fact, the actor says being a dad has opened his eyes to new responsibilities. "Eventually you have to grow up and realize relationships are hard work," he told British newspaper The Sun. "Being a daddy is what counts. My new daughter made me realize that if there's anything that makes a man of you, it's having your will broke by a little girl.

It seems Mario Lopez is still basking in the glow of his relatively newfound fatherhood. The 38-year-old Extra host welcomed daughter Gia Francesca, 1, with fiancee Courtney Mazza last September, and Lopez says he couldn't be more ecstatic. "I absolutely can't wait to get home to see her -- she's so amazing," he told People shortly after Gia's birth. "The whole experience is so amazing." We just hope the hard-bodied hunk can still fit those famed workout routines into his busy schedule!

Not only does Hugh Jackman sing, dance and dazzle with his gorgeous looks -- but it's also clear he really knows what's important when it comes to parenting his two adopted children (Oscar, 12, and Ava, 6) with wife Deborra-Lee Furness. "Everything is exposed with kids. There's no artifice, because they see you for exactly what you are," the 43-year-old actor told the Daily Mail. "You can't pretend. Actors fool people about the kind of person they are. You wear whatever mask you want to put on. But it doesn't work with kids. If your career is more important than them, you're going to have hell. You see things get out of whack, out of balance, because they just mirror it back to you.

Hollywood's resident bad boy is no more, and it's all thanks to his kids. Colin Farrell, who has previously made headlines for excessive drinking and partying, now lives a much more reserved lifestyle with sons James, 8, and Henry, 2 (from relationships with exes Kim Bordenave and Alicja Bachleda, respectively). "It’s just a lovely little adventure to be on," the 36-year-old star of this summer's Total Recall remake told ShowbizSpy about fatherhood. "I spend most of my time in Los Angeles and I just live a really low-key life." His bad-boy rep may be gone -- but luckily his inked-up muscles are still in tact!

Before he became a dad, Matt Damon, 41, says he never thought much about having kids. "Other people were always showing me baby pictures or trying to hand me the baby, and I was like, 'Get that thing away from me,'" he told People. The Oscar-winning actor sure did an about-face once his first daughter, Isabella, joined him six years ago in July 2006. Since then, he and wife Luciana welcomed two more daughters -- 3-year-old Gia (pictured) and 1-year-old Stella. (Damon is also stepdad to Alexia, 12, Luciana’s daughter from a previous relationship.) And while he may feel a little outnumbered living with four females, the charming star wouldn't have it any other way. "It's really great," he told iVillage. "It's like I get a whole second chance at life. Before, it was me and my brother my whole life, and that's a very different vibe than I have in my house now. So it's a whole new world -- and it's really cool."

Not only is he one of our hottest dads this year, but Ryan Phillippe is also one of the most devoted. The 37-year-old actor has put kids before career for quite a while, and Phillippe says he believes it was a good parenting decision. "It’s pretty easy," the Damages actor told In Touch. "I don’t work all the time, so months go by when I’m at home with the kids full time. It’s not that much of a challenge." Phillippe is dad to two children with ex-wife Reese Witherspoon -- daughter Ava, 12, and son Deacon, 8 (pictured). He and ex-girlfriend Alexis Knapp also welcomed a daughter, Kailani, who was 1 in July.

Much like Tony Stark must re-learn the superhero ropes in this summer's The Avengers, Robert Downey Jr. is learning how to be a dad all over again. The Iron Man star, 47, and wife Susan recently welcomed 4-month-old son Exton into the world. Although RDJ has an 18-year-old son, Indio (pictured in 2008), from his previous marriage to Deborah Falconer, the star told Esquire that preparing for another baby was just as scary as the first time. "There was all this trepidation, all this projection, all this anticipation and goodwill and a good vibe about it," he said. "But what you're squeezing to the side -- or what's in the glove box -- is these thousands of forms of fear. And then he was born and they've all just kind of scattered now. It seems like he's always been here."

OMG, we're so in love -- with Usher's adorable little boys! The hip-hop star is dad to Usher V and Naviyd -- his sons with ex-wife Tameka Foster. The "OMG" singer dished to Irish TV Station TV3 about the importance of making time for his family. "My kids see me as a superhero, I'm like superdad to my kids," he says. "If I'm not with them every day we still see each other, we pray before dinner and we talk before bedtime."

Eric Dane has gone from TV cad to real-life doting dad. While he may play McSteamy on Grey's Anatomy, a plastic surgeon known for his bedside manner, so to speak, off screen he's devoted to three very special ladies: daughters Billie Beatrice, 2 (pictured) and Georgia Geraldine, 5 months, and wife Rebecca Gayheart. "Probably the greatest moment in my life," the 39-year-old actor told US Weekly about bringing new life into the world. And if that doesn't put the squeeze on your heart, the small-screen heartthrob says becoming a father gave his whole life a makeover. "It changes how you look at things and how you feel about things. I like to think of myself as an artist -- but now I'm working for my kid."

In the past decade, Tom Cruise has been called many things. But despite the intrigue he's stirred up, the actor has more than redeemed himself through the love he shows for his kids: Isabella and Connor his adopted children with former spouse Nicole Kidman, and Suri, his daughter with former wife Katie Holmes.

"How can you not love her? She's wonderful. A joy," the Knight and Day star told Oprah Winfrey about his youngest child.

Patrick Dempsey may be the father of three -- daughter Talula,  (pictured), and twin boys Darby and Sullivan -- but exhaustion hasn't sapped his sense of humor. Case in point: The 46-year-old Grey's Anatomy star, who's been married to makeup artist Jillian Fink since 1999, says that playing a neurosurgeon sometimes spills over into his family life -- and that's a good thing. "I get a lot of equipment from Grey's, so I have my own OR, which is really nice," he joked to Jimmy Kimmel. "I do a lot of brain surgery on them (his twin sons) -- experimentation." In his more serious moments, Dempsey rhapsodizes about the life-changing nature of fatherhood: "Being a father makes you look at yourself," he says. "You look at your marriage and you go, 'How do I improve this? How do I keep growing and create a stable environment for my children?'" Let's just hope he passed along those good-hair genes to his little ones!

A hunky Peter Pan with a passion for all-night poker and frat-boy partying, Ben Affleck was one sexy star who we bet on to stay a perpetual bachelor. But the Oscar winner surprised us all by marrying All-American sweetheart Jennifer Garner and transforming himself through fatherhood. "We all like to see ourselves as good dads," the 39-year-old father of three (daughters Violet, 6, and Seraphina, 3, and newborn son Samuel) told the U.K.'s Daily Mirror. "But there's also that fear, 'Oh, I don't want to be like my father,' or 'I hope my kid doesn’t turn out like me.' I have those feelings, too. The key is optimism." And even though we're not exactly swooning over Ben's scruffy new look, his family devotion makes him undeniably hot!

Will Smith hasn't let parenthood age him one bit! The Men in Black 3 star is father to Jaden, and Willow, with wife Jada Pinkett Smith. (He also has a 19-year-old son, Trey, with ex-wife Sheree Zampino-Fletcher.) So what's the Fresh Prince's secret to balancing fame, fatherhood and what seems like eternal youth? Having more sons than daughters. "See, boys are easy," the actor recently told Access Hollywood. "Like, it’s really easy with boys. It’s like, until you can beat me in a fist fight you've gotta do what I say!"

Even though Gavin Rossdale fathered his first child (daughter Daisy Lowe, a 23-year-old British model, with Pearl Lowe) when he was 24 (though he didn't find out that he'd become a parent until years later), the rocker says until he and popstar wife Gwen Stefani had their own son, he had scant exposure to little diapered ones. "I’d been around babies 12 minutes my entire life," he told People. Now dad to Kingston, and Zuma in August, the musician says fatherhood has taught him a humbling life lesson: "You have to relinquish all self-importance.  It’s not a bad thing. You don’t have time to think about yourself. I used to wallow in introspection. I don’t have time to be that guy now."

With parents as beautiful and exotic as Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, baby Leo is bound to be a heartbreaker! The Oscar-winning duo has remained notoriously tight-lipped about parenthood since the birth of their son Leo in January 2011 -- but the sexy Spanish actor says that he learned a lot about parenting from his work on the 2010 film Biutiful. "I can do as my character does in the movie and take care of our little community," Bardem, 43, told the Hollywood Bulletin. "We can express the right feelings, the right purpose to our kids, and to allow them to grow up with the right ethical values. That's what we can do."

Actor Liev Schreiber -- who has two boys, 4-year-old Alexander "Sasha" Pete and 3-year-old Samuel Kai, with longtime love Naomi Watts -- admits that being a dad is challenging. "The minute that they show up and you hear that first scream, it’s a pretty profound feeling, you know that you’re in for the best thing that ever happened to you and the hardest work you'll ever do." Luckily, the handsome star, 44, quickly found that he had what it takes. "I think it came naturally to me."