At Broadway.com, recent Tony nominee Bobby Cannavale talks about his newish black comedy, The Motherf**ker With the Hat, and touche on the impact fatherhood has had on his career. At 41, Cannavale and ex-wife Jenny Lumet are the parents of Jake, who is 16:

Switching gears, your son, Jake, just turned 16. What have you enjoyed about being a young dad?

Oh, wow, everything! I never thought I would get married and have kids. I thought I was going to be a gypsy actor, traveling all over the world playing the great roles. I ended up having a kid very young, and it put things in perspective. He became the most important person in my life, and everything else seemed to fall into place. I’ve made decisions that perhaps have not let me go as far in my career, but I’m totally fine with that because it’s kept me close to my son. That kid is an exceptional kid. Anybody who talks to him can’t get over how grown up and confident he is. We spend a lot of time together. He tells me a lot, and I’m honored that I have that kind of relationship with him.

I’m always impressed by people who admit to having made potentially career-limiting decisions out of a kid’s best interest. Yes, it’s a luxury to be able to do so — some dads just want a job, period — but for lots of dads it can be a significant sacrifice.

It’s a worthwhile one, though. Because the stats are pretty clear: a kid has a better chance of succeeding and becoming “exceptional” when he or she grows up with an active, present dad. Whether his dad is on Broadway or not.