Eric McCormack on Will & Grace and getting ’scold-y’ with Finnigan
Will & Grace may have ended in 2006, but that doesn’t stop diehard fans from approaching star Eric McCormack to discuss plot lines and to ask for photos, he told talk show host Conan O’Brien last evening. The 45-year-old actor said he loves to chat with fans, but son Finnigan, 5 ½, finds it a bit unnerving.
It’s great, it goes on and on. It’s a little confusing for my son. We walk down the street and strangers come up, talking and taking pictures. And they’ll walk away and [Finnigan] will say, ‘Daddy, I thought we weren’t supposed to talk to strangers?’
When asked what Finnigan is into these days, Eric shared an honest answer — himself.
He’s almost 6. Like all boys over the age of 1 ½, he’s into that perpetual voyage of self-discovery. [I] walked into the living room the other day and he was lying [down], looking very self-satisfied. He slowly pulled his pants down and said, ‘It’s penis time.’ [laughs] For some reason, I got kind of scold-y, and I said, ‘It is not penis time!’ as if there is a penis time, and he was just early. He just slowly pulled his pants back up and said, ‘Goodbye, penis.’ [laughs]
Finnigan is the only child for Eric and wife Janet Holden. Eric’s latest project, The Andromeda Strain miniseries, premieres Memorial Day at 9 pm on A&E.
Source: Late Night with Conan O’Brien; Photo by Ramey
- Posted on May 22, 08 at 12:14PM
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- 22 Comments
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:40 pm
My son will be 5 in september and he really loves to do this dance where he pulls his pants down and says “shake you booty, naked booty”. Although i must admit it is a little funny, I have to be “scoldy” and tell him thats its not appropriate. I have a another open question…when do you think a child is too old to see their parent naked? My husband was raised by germans so hes very european in his thinking but i think my son is too old to see us in our undies let alone naked. Any thoughts
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I love Eric and I think that he is such a wonderful actor. His son is a normal little boy and Eric’s humor over it is so healthy.
cm- I don’t know what the magic age is that children should stop seeing their parents naked? Maybe a question for the pediatrician? I have three boys and my oldest two certainly do not see me naked, but they do sometimes see me in a bra and jeans. I would say when YOU feel that it is inappropriate it probably is. Go by your instincts.
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Eric is such a funny man and he must keep his family laughing all the time.
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:28 pm
I love the way Eric talks so open about Finnigan. He seems like a real fun dad to me.
@ cm:
Im European and very open minded about nudity. My kids see me and my husband naked a lot. When I walk to the bathroom and my son’s (7, 5 and 2,5)see me it’s no problem. They think it’s fine, we think it’s fine. The like to take a bath with their daddy or with the 5 of us. I think your children let it know when they do not want to see you naked any more.
We tell them its not appropriate to put your pants down in public tough.
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:40 pm
I guess you have to be a parent to understand Eric’s penis anecdote – I thought it was a little over the top to share with an audience. His son, “looking self-satisfied…slowly pulled down his pants and announced that it’s penis time” sorry, I just don’t find it funny or endearing. JMHO.
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:50 pm
I hope he doesn’t make Fin feel like “penis time” is a bad thing. I find it weird when parents yell at their kids saying “THAT’S BAD DON’T DO THAT IT’S ICKY”…no it’s not icky…it’s part of being a human being. Were teaching our kids that self exploration is bad.
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:01 pm
I agree with Chicki.. I don’t see the need he felt in sharing this story. Not really sure that his son will appreciate it when he’s older.
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Hehe, Finnigan is going to be mortified about that little anecdote when he gets older. But that’s hilarious.
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
So, Chicki are you saying that you aren’t a parent?
It is no huge deal and it is a funny story. I’m European also and don’t see the big deal with it??? My son pooped in his pants at a McDonald’s playground when he was 2 and it fell out of his shorts. Is that a big deal? We dealt with it and didn’t make him feel embarrassed. Kids come up with really crazy things, IMHO I think it is a funny story and I am glad he shared it. Celebrities aren’t perfect and neither are their children.
May 22nd, 2008 at 4:03 pm
my husband and i had a good laugh over that story.
cm: my mom decided that once we started asking questions it was time for her and my dad to not be naked in front of us. apparently i was showering with him and looked up and asked “what’s that?” so that was the end of that. lol.
May 22nd, 2008 at 6:05 pm
I think Eric handled that well, with a sense of humour and probably a new boundary set.
Sounds like a good dad to me.
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:47 pm
I thought it was a funny story and dealt with well. His reaction was right to be kind of “scoldy”, because it is okay, but only in private, by yourself, not in the living room.
cm: I think being naked in front of a child should stop by the time they’re going to kindergarten. By that age they know about the body and they are likely to start remembering what you look like naked. Underwear is different, I would say that is a personal preference. If your okay with it it could be forever or it could be when they stop seeing you naked. Up to you.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:32 pm
My eyes are watering I’m laughing so hard. I have too many stories like this…
My youngest calls himself NAKED LAD and shakes his booty. While we are not naked in front of our kids, except maybe underwear when getting dressed, he even told my husband that he can be NAKED LAD’s sidekick – NAKED DAD…
He also told me in the bathtub once that he found marbles in the tub. When I couldn’t find them he stood up and pulled on his testicles and said, see they’re right under my penis! After I finished laughing and texting my sisters the story, I told him they were called testicles.
My oldest, has known penis time is for only when you’re alone and in your room or the bathroom. Boys touch them as soon as they can reach them.
The things mothers of sons learn that we never knew…
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:38 pm
I’m really siding on Chicki with this one. No, I’m not a parent and while I don’t think his son is doing something “wrong,” I don’t think it’s something appropriate to say on national TV. It’s fine when laughing with friends but I doubt Finn would have a laugh over it when he’s a teenager and found out what his dad said about him on TV. Just stating my opinion on the matter and I’m much, much, much more conservative than most people.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Oh Stephany, lighten up. WHEN and IF you become a parent you will see that this is hilarious and absolutely no big deal!
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:03 am
I’m also european and 22, and all my life I’ve seen my parents naked. I’m still living with them, so I still do. I’ve never thought that was a rare thing until I read these comments. I think it’s pretty normal here and nothing traumatic at all for the children development. I can state it!
May 23rd, 2008 at 1:43 pm
I find it hard to believe that in ten years (or whenever) his son will say “hey dad lets dig up old videos of all your tv appearances that you did years and years ago and look at them” so he probably won’t get embarrased about this…and yeah its hilarious, kids come up with some very random things…I love how he said “and i said ‘it is not penis time’ like there actually is a penis time” haha
May 23rd, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Stephany, I hear where you’re coming from my mom use to tell embarrassing stories about me to her friends when I was a teen and it got on my nerves. I don’t think he going to wind up resenting him or anything it just embarrassing, but parents love to tell stories about their kids.
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Wow, LB3 I find your use of capital “WHEN” and “IF” in response to Stephany’s comment super rude – who are you to tell someone else to “lighten up” when they express that they have conservative views other than your own? You have a right to feel that the anecdote was hilarious but I disagree with the idea of putting someone else down in order to get your point across.
And to answer your question, no I’m not a parent, and I still have an opinion! Can you believe it?!
May 24th, 2008 at 3:22 am
Well Chicki, like I said IF and WHEN you become a parent I am sure that you will change your view because I am SURE that YOU will have the type of child that others would like to strangle.
May 24th, 2008 at 3:43 am
Isn’t it funny that the people that seem to have a problem with this is the people that don’t have children. I’m from the uk and we’re very liberal in our house. I have a 10 yr old son & a 5 yr old daughter, and we all walk around naked all the time! We always mess around doing things like maybe i’ll chase them up the stairs and i’ll pull their pants down and smack their bots! They roar and scream laughing! None of us close the toilet door when we go to the toilet. They know what periods are because they saw me on the toilet one time when i was getting it and asked me what it was, so I told them. Why not? Why a problem with nakedness? Are you associating it with something sexual? Why? If so, then that’s your problem, something in your head is making that connection, why? Being naked is natural, and nothing to hide.
May 24th, 2008 at 5:29 am
And on a side note Chicki..if you find my use of capitals offensive you should probably take it up with the creator of this site and the person who allowed my comment to go through. Oh, and grow up a tad.