From his breakthrough role in '90s teen flick Drive Me Crazy to his TV stardom on Entourage, Adrian Grenier has come a long way in his career—but getting promoted to “Dad” is his favorite role by far. Grenier recently opened up about his decision to live a more reclusive, environmental-driven life outside of the spotlight, and how fatherhood has heavily impacted his acting portfolio and future in Hollywood.
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“I was flying high for many years, two decades in Hollywood and growing up in New York, but I live a much more grounded life now,” Grenier said in reference to his relocation to Texas, during a Feb. 9 appearance on Today With Hoda & Jenna. “I decided I was going to live closer to nature and to commit to my wife and have a family and have a child, which I’m so excited about.”
In June 2023, Grenier and his wife, Jordan Roemmele, welcomed a son named Seiko Aurelius. The couple eloped the summer prior while vacationing in the Moroccan desert after five years of dating, People reported at the time.
Talking about fatherhood, Grenier said bringing his son into the world has taught him the true meaning of unconditional love.
"I don’t know if my body can contain the love. I need more [space]. It’s so expansive that I feel like my body is going to burst. I’m so in love with this kid. He’s just absolutely beautiful,” Grenier said, adding with a laugh, “And I’m so proud of him already and all he does is poop!”
It’s been two years since the newly minted dad graced the small screen, and while he hasn’t stepped away from Hollywood for good, Grenier noted that since becoming a father he has gotten a lot more selective with the types of projects he chooses to take on.
“I’m only really taking roles that are aligned with my dharma and that I can be proud of because I want my kid to watch whatever I do and be proud of his dad,” he explained.
For Grenier, dharma is his farm in Bastrop, Texas, where he’s been able to do “a lot of growth” and reconnect with nature. The Devil Wears Prada star said being surrounded by Mother Nature’s beauty has taught him how to be “in more harmony,” which has also translated into how he and Roemmele are raising their son to be curious about all living things.
"My little boy was in the dirt this morning and my wife sent a picture. And it’s not only that you learn so much, there’s a lot of mental health challenges in our world and I think it’s our disconnect from the earth,” Grenier shared.
He added, “My son is also learning a lot of like, the natural biome. The bacterias that he’s getting and the immunity information that he’s getting is so important for his health."
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This isn’t the first time Grenier has talked about leaving Hollywood to focus on a more sustainable lifestyle. In a cover story for Austin Life magazine in 2021, Grenier admitted that he had grown tired of the party scene. A movie heartthrob back in the day, Grenier revealed that it was “lackluster at the top.”
"Acting is a dissociative experience where you don't even know if you're doing it right—you need a director to tell you!" he said. "It's a mask-wearing process—you're not even you, you're just playing!"
Eventually, Grenier found himself craving a real-life change. “I'm here for something bigger than going to nightclubs,” he quipped.
In the earlier interview, the actor said that he'd never felt more present in his life.
"I do feel totally at peace. My work on the farm is present, immediate, apparent," he told Austin Life. "Just to be here, to be me, to be rooted, to feel the earth, to dig in the dirt … it's so grounding. I'd been stepping on concrete my whole life, separated from the earth. Here and now, I feel so much more centered and balanced."
