Father''s Day: 14 Iconic Dads in Cinema and Television

Written by Mariane Tremblay

To celebrate Father's Day, our team has curated a list of iconic fathers in cinema and television, whether biological, adoptive, or simply paternal figures, who we just can’t stop thinking about. Just like mothers, fathers, and father figures often shape who we are through their love, guidance, strength, and support, making them some of the most important people in our lives. From the big screen to television, these men continue to inspire, comfort, and shape the stories we love.

Atticus Finch
Portrayed by Gregory Peck
Movie: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Atticus Finch, played by Gregory Peck in the 1962 adaptation of Harper Lee’s masterpiece, To Kill a Mockingbird, is one of my personal favorite Fathers of Cinema. He leads and teaches by example, by actually following the values he is preaching. Showing his children the importance of standing up for what is right, even when it is difficult or unpopular. He preaches empathy to his children, encouraging them to see the world from other people’s perspective. He respects his children's intellect by answering their questions and helping them understand complex issues rather than telling them what to think. Atticus remains calm, patient, and dependable, even when everyone around him is scrutinizing and ostracizing him. Though he does fail in the end, he doesn’t compromise his moral principles and still stands by everything he did. His strong moral compass and his deep love for his family makes him an enduring example as to why he is one of my favorite father figures in film. — Elizabeth

Where to watch: Available to rent or buy at home

Bryan Mills
Portrayed by Liam Neeson
Movies: The Taken trilogy (2008-2015)

Bryan Mills is a father with a very particular set of skills. While most parents say they would go to the ends of the earth for their children, Bryan proves he is actually capable of it. When his daughter is taken (no pun intended) in Paris, Bryan does absolutely everything in his power to find her. Miraculously (or particularly), he is able to find her after fighting every bad guy in Paris, avoiding the French police, driving like a maniac, and fighting on a boat. Bryan Mills is the kind of father every action movie wants to have. He looks like a tall, huggable teddy bear that will buy you a karaoke machine because you said you wanted to be a singer when you were five, but can just as easily kill hundreds of men to bring you home safe. Isn't that the perfect movie father figure? — Lara

Where to watch: Available on Crave and Disney+ (Canada), and to rent or buy at home

Calum Patterson
Portrayed by Paul Mescal
Movie: Aftersun (2022)

Perhaps the most painfully real father modern cinema has given us. As we experience him entirely through Sophie’s adult memories, he becomes a figure in whom tenderness and quiet suffering coexist in the ordinary. Locked in a silent battle with his own darkness, his inability to save himself ultimately fractures his relationship with his daughter, leaving her to deal with the pain of his absence for the rest of her life. — Giorgia

Where to watch: Available on MUBI (Canada), Tubi (U.S), and to rent or buy at home 

Chandler Bing
Portrayed by Matthew Perry
TV show: Friends (1994-2004)

From using sarcasm as a trauma shield to becoming the father he never had. Chandler starts his journey as the funny, emotionally guarded friend, but his evolution into a parental figure begins long before he and Monica choose to become parents, acting as a steady, reliable anchor for his friends — his chosen family. Well-aware of the great responsibility of parenthood, he chooses it with absolute intention, transforming his deepest fears into profound love and devotion, and ultimately healing the wounds of his own childhood. — Giorgia

Where to watch: Available on Crave (Canada) and HBO Max (U.S)

Joseph "Coop" Cooper
Portrayed by Matthew McConaughey
Movie: Interstellar (2014)

It’s impossible not to include this one, because it’s just a great movie. But it’s also a movie that doesn’t exist without the idea of fatherhood. Rather than giving us a sci-fi movie about fighting the forces of evil, this is, at its heart, a story of a dad trying to get home to his kid. It’s a general idea that Christopher Nolan is clearly interested in exploring, as we’ll see again this year with The Odyssey.

Where to watch: Available on Netflix (Canada), on Paramount+ (Canada, U.S), and to rent or buy at home

Dill Penderghast
Portrayed by Stanley Tucci
Movie: Easy A (2010)

To me, Stanley Tucci portrays one of the most iconic fathers in cinema in Easy A. Who doesn't love an open-minded dad who "was gay once... for a while"? It's easily one of my favourite performances of his, and he never fails to make me laugh. I love how unapologetically silly and playful he is, how he never takes himself too seriously around his wife (Patricia Clarkson) and family, while still being a deeply caring father who is always present for them. But most importantly, he never judges Olive (Emma Stone). Instead of lecturing her, he gives her the space to make her own mistakes while gently guiding her towards the right choices. — Mariane

Where to watch: Available on Netflix (Canada), and to rent or buy at home

Harry, Bill & Sam
Portrayed by Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, and Pierce Brosnan
Movies: Mamma Mia! (2008) and Mamma Mia! Here we go again (2018)

What's more iconic than going from having no father to three father figures showing up at your wedding because your mother left such a lasting impression on them all? Nothing. Especially when they're portrayed by Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, and Pierce Brosnan. Not only are they one of the coolest trios (they can't be the best when Donna and the Dynamos are around, sorry), but each of them brings something different and unique, not only to one another, but to Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), ultimately making them the best fathers she could possibly wish for. — Mariane

Where to watch: Available on Netflix, Disney+ (Canada), Prime Video (U.S), and to rent or buy at home 

Lee Abbott
Portrayed by John Krasinski
Movie: A Quiet Place (2018) and A Quiet Place Part II (2020)

Not a feel-good film by any means, but it’s one that certainly has a fantastic father character at the center. The bond that Lee (John Krasinski) has with Evelyn (Emily Blunt) and their children is what emotionally grounds this film, and is a key part of what’s made it such a staple of modern horror. 

Where to watch: Available on Paramount+ (Canada, U.S) and to rent or buy at home

Lydia Tár
Portrayed by Cate Blanchett
Movie: Tár (2022)

The ultimate 'Daddy' energy. She brings the same terrifying intensity to being a parent as she does to conducting Mahler’s 5th. There is something about Cate Blanchett in a tailored suit threatening a bully that we can’t look away from. Problematic? Maybe. But she certainly has us in a chokehold. — Giorgia

Where to watch: Available on Crave (Canada), Peacock (U.S), and to rent or buy at home

Phil Dunphy
Portrayed by Ty Burrell
TV show: Modern Family (2009-2020)

Phil surely isn't the most serious father, and often feels more like the Dunphys' fourth child than a parent, leaving Claire (Julie Bowen) to play the bad cop. But it's his playfulness, endless optimism, and the immense love he has for his children that make him one of the best dads in sitcom history. He may be a little goofy (affectionately), and he certainly doesn't always know the right thing to do, but his kids never have to question whether they're loved. He's always there to cheer them on, make them laugh, and believe in them even when they don't believe in themselves. — Mariane

Where to watch: Available on Disney+ (Canada) and on Hulu (U.S)

Sandy Cohen
Portrayed by Peter Gallagher
TV show: The O.C. (2003-2007)

When it comes to excellent TV fathers, I can’t help but write about The O.C.’s Sandy Cohen. Yes, I actually finished the O.C. just under the wire in order to write about him for Father’s Day, because that’s just how great a dad Sandy is. When we first meet Sandy, he’s adamant about bringing Ryan (Ben McKenzie) home to live with his family — doing it before even asking his wife for permission. As a lawyer whose priority is helping those who need help the most, when he saw a 16-year-old kid who needed a safe place, he provided it. 

In most cases on television and film, when a child joins an already-established family, it’s a point of contention at some point or another. That’s never the case here. Both Seth (Adam Brody) — Sandy’s biological son — and Ryan are treated equally. Ryan is never made to feel like he’s not actually a part of the Cohen family. On the contrary, he’s always been thought of by Sandy (and Kirsten) as his son. When the boys are punished, it’s always from a place of love; the disappointment in whatever their actions were is expressed, while at the same time, they're reminded that they are loved and that nothing they could ever do would make Sandy love them less. 

Sandy encourages his boys to be the best they can be and goes out of his way to protect them in any way he can, even when it means using his position as a lawyer to his advantage. If he were a real person, he’d be the kind of man most people would love to have as a dad. 

Where to watch: Available on Disney+ (Canada) and on Hulu (U.S)

Terminator
Portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger
Movie: Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)

Terminator 2 set the bar high for action sci-fi films and cinematic surrogate fathers in 1991. Sent back in time by the human resistance, the modified T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has one goal: to protect the young John Connor (Edward Furlong). The Terminator (or Uncle Bob, as John later names him) is devoted to the Connors, and unlike the human father figures in John’s life, he provides steadfast reliability and security. Despite intense core programming, he adapts. He listens as John teaches him to be more human, even learning to value human life itself. As Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) puts it, "in an insane world, it was the sanest choice." For those wary of sequels, know you’re in good hands with Uncle Bob, even if there’s a gnarly metal endoskeleton underneath.

Where to watch: Available on Crave and Tubi (Canada), on HBO Max. (U.S), and to rent or buy at home