Remembering Willie Garson
“Kids deserve a chance to blossom out of their endurance. It’s not so much a need; it’s what they deserve. As humans, kids deserve the opportunity, and we deserve, also, the opportunity to take care of someone, to take care of each other. That’s what we deserve.” – Willie Garson, Kidsave Champion for Children Honoree, 2015.
Most of us know Willie Garson as a tremendous talent on iconic television shows. Whether we were charmed by Stanford Blatch’s style, warmth, and humor on SATC, or we were impressed by Mozzie’s cunning and resourcefulness on White Collar, we remember his work. He was indeed dedicated to his craft and took pride in portraying characters with a sense of realism.
People may not know that Willie Garson’s love for being a supportive figure extended into his journey towards fatherhood. For Willie, being a dad was “my most important and cherished role,” as he told us during his acceptance speech as Kidsave’s Champion for Children Honoree in 2015.
Willie Garson adopted his son, Nathen Garson, in 2009. Nathen was 8 years old at the time. Garson raised Nathen as a single dad and spoke candidly to People magazine about his path to becoming an adoptive parent. “When I first became a dad to Nathen, everything had such newness to it. But we both wanted this adoption, and we worked things out together because we are partners in this,” he said. “I don’t know what I would have done with a newborn… But I do wish I’d met him sooner because I enjoy him so much. His sense of humor is a carbon copy of mine.”
Willie will be remembered as a talented actor and a wonderful father.
