Anthony Bourdain Doted on Fatherhood: ‘I Love Being a Father’

In the wake of Anthony Bourdain’s tragic death, his doting fatherhood comments have resurfaced, with the beloved chef once saying, “I love being a father.”

“From the second I saw my daughter’s head corkscrewing out of the womb, I began making some major changes in my life. I was no longer the star of my own movie — or any movie. From that point on, it was all about the girl,” Bourdain once gushed, according to PEOPLE.

“Fatherhood has been an enormous relief, as I am now genetically, instinctually compelled to care more about someone other than myself. I like being a father,” he later added. “No, I love being a father. Everything about it.”

Bourdain’s apparent suicide leaves behind an 11-year-old daughter named Ariane, whom he clearly loved very much, as evident by the many times he spoke of her during interviews.

“She’s a weird kid with weird parents. She goes to school with a lot of kids with very differing backgrounds who come from different places. She understands that not everyone lives like her,” he once of the young girl. “She’s traveled a lot and enjoyed it, and I like to think that has given her a restless and curious mind. I encourage that in every way I can.”

In one of his cookbooks, Bourdain revealed that he became a father “at 50 years of age” and that while that seems “late,” it was “just right” for him.

“At no point previously had I been old enough, settled enough, or mature enough for this, the biggest and most important of jobs: the love and care of another human being,” the renowned cooking show host added.

While speaking in another interview, Bourdain once exclaimed he was “very much enjoying the fatherhood phase” of his life, and went to explain that having a daughter helped him to once again love things that he loved as a child, but had grown to feel averse to.

“I used to love it when my father made pancakes for me. Cooking breakfast and brunch professionally really kind of ruined breakfast service for me for a long time,” Bourdain explained. “I am grateful to my daughter and her friends, especially when they have a sleepover party for making brunch fun again!”

According to PEOPLE, Bourdain revealed being a father had given him a reason to live, and how before having his daughter he was much more of a “daredevil.”

“In retrospect, I don’t know that I would do that today — now that I’m a dad or reasonably happy,” Bourdain concluded.

If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).