Dan Harkins
Father of Danielle, 18, and James, 16

He may own movie theaters across several states, but Dan Harkins’s favorite characters are not found on the big screen. Instead, they are his children, Danielle and James.

Despite being the owner of Harkins Theaters, this dad manages to find quality time for his kids. “I just make our kids the priority,” he says. “Everyone seems to understand that. Luckily in our culture… children are allowed to take priority.”  Like their dad, both children have developed an interest in the arts (Danielle as an artist and James as a filmmaker). “I feel blessed that not only are they healthy and beautiful, but they’re very smart and intelligent with outstanding values,” Harkins says. And as they get older, they still adore their dear dad. “He’s just so goofy,” Danielle says. “He’s like playing with a 5-year- old child. He always knows how to make me smile.”

For Father’s Day this year, Harkins is expecting some traditions to stay the same, including the exchange of homemade cards on holidays. “My son always makes his cards with a sort of tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, and my daughter always makes beautiful cards with a lot of pictures and collages from photographs.” —V.J.