Meet Max Greenfield's Adorable Kids: Lilly and Ozzie

Max Greenfield, the talented actor and producer known for his role in New Girl, treasures being a dad more than any other accolade. The 44-year-old and his wife, former casting director Tess Sanchez, tied the knot in 2008. Their family grew with the arrival of their daughter, Lilly Greenfield, in 2010, followed by their son, Ozzie James Greenfield, in 2015.

"I definitely didn't think I was ready," Max told Parents about the whirlwind of becoming a father. "You're a psychopath if you're about to have your first child and you're like, 'I'm ready for this!'"

From the start, Max showed a keen interest in fatherhood, even taking a step back from acting as his career saw some downtime.

"I've got the baby. You do your thing," he said to Tess.

Balancing two kids hasn't always come easy. Shortly after Ozzie's birth, he shared with People that he faced "moments of exhaustion and despair." But he also embraced the joy that fatherhood brings.

"Point me in the direction of having fun, and I'm there. But I'm terrible at all the other stuff," he confessed about his playful parenting approach.

Lilly, Max's firstborn, arrived on January 27, 2010.

As Max dedicated himself to parenting during that time, he navigated the demands of a newborn.

"I remember sleepless nights, crying in the laundry room, thinking, 'This is how they torture war criminals,'" he joked about adjusting to fatherhood.

Tess explained that their primary parenting rule is simple: "Be kind and have compassion." The couple believes in instilling values in their children, while maintaining a relaxed atmosphere regarding most other matters.

Throughout the pandemic, Max jumped into homeschooling but managed to turn it into bonding time with Lilly.

"I was really overwhelmed," he said in an interview with Fatherly. "We'd make a video if we had a really funny idea... and it made that time kind of fun and exciting."

Max's lifelong connection with Lilly extended to TikTok collaborations. He only joined the platform to share videos with her, where she expertly choreographs their dances.

"If she's not in it, she's behind the camera going, 'And now dad, you do this,'" he shared. Their dad-daughter affection was further showcased when they attended Taylor Swift's concert together. Max described it to People as "the best vibe ever."

With an eye on her own performance ambitions, Lilly shined on screen in The Neighborhood, following in her father's artistic footsteps.

"We had her audition, she was excellent if I do say so," Max remarked on the experience during an appearance on The Rachael Ray Show.

Ozzie, born August 24, 2015, made Max's transition to "dad-of-two" a lively challenge.

"Now it's like, 'I got to go pick up the kids. I got to get the kids home,'" he exclaimed.

Max openly admitted that parenting two children has tested his time management and endurance.

"The second kid was a wake-up call… I realized what may have worked in the past is not working in the present," he explained to Men's Journal.

While he juggled parenting with an Emmy-nominated show, Tess took the reins during Ozzie's early days.

"By the time Ozzie was born, Max was pulling crazy hours on New Girl, so I was the one who was up all night," she recounted.

Max embraced co-sleeping, often joking about the comfort it brings him.

"If the kids want to climb into our bed, c'mon! Get on in!" he quipped.

Though Ozzie is just starting to grasp his father's acting career, he relishes the attention he gets from trying to make people laugh.

"He's genuinely funny," Max said, sharing how Ozzie keeps their household entertained.

His experience as a father led him to explore another creative realm: writing. In November 2021, he launched his children's book, I Don't Want to Read This Book, inspired by his kids' reluctance to read.

"I thought, 'Well, if I was ever going to do a picture book, it'd be all the reasons why you don't want to read a book,'" he explained.

Since then, he has continued to entertain young readers, with more titles set for release, including Good Night Thoughts, out in September 2024.

"I had so much fun writing it, and it couldn't have turned out any better," he concluded.