When it comes to celebrity fathers, you would have a difficult time finding one who is more dedicated to his children and his family than Joe Mantegna. He may play a Special Agent on Criminal Minds, but he knows how to care for his family with love.
He especially cares for his two daughters, but was a bit surprised when his oldest daughter began to experience health problems. As of then, the youngest child became the older sister’s protector.
Joe is also known for having a very long-lasting marriage, which is a refreshing change in today’s celebrity environment.
He got started in 1963 with acting when he was challenged by a friend to try out for West Side Story. He didn’t get the role, but he did love the process.
When he graduated, he joined a rock band, but didn’t go very far with it so he ended up at the theater. That is where he met his partner Arlene Vrhel. They would get married shortly thereafter in 1969.
He has some things to say about marriage. He said: “The way I like to put it is that marriage is like being on a roller coaster. It’s fun, but then these scary turns happen. The trick is, at least for me, is that we hung on during those scary turns. Then things smoothed out again. For us, the ride keeps getting better and better.”
Happy Anniversary to my amazing wife Arlene. 40 years and counting! pic.twitter.com/mIEzltdeCy
— Joe Mantegna (@JoeMantegna) October 3, 2015
When Mia was born, they thought that everything was going well because the pregnancy went as smoothly as possible. After a sudden drop in movement was noticed, the doctors diagnosed an infection in the umbilical cord and they delivered early.
Mia was three months premature and only weighed 1 pound and 15 ounces. She was one of the smallest newborns in the state of California that year.
Joe and his wife felt overwhelmed and determined after they first saw the little bundle of joy. He said: “Here’s our daughter, and she’ll be fine.”
Mia had some significant health struggles as a young child, including stopping breathing on occasion. They ended up having to replace the porch light with a red bulb so that ambulance drivers could find their home quickly.
There were some health struggles but Mia grew stronger and seemed to be jumping from one moment to another. She did have some problems with development, including not making eye contact or speaking. She would usually repeat phrases, which is something known as echolalia.
That is when she was diagnosed with autism and Joe admitted that it hit him like a ‘ton of bricks’.
He said: “You were afraid to walk in puddles and stuff because nobody even knew how you got it, and there was no cure for it. So it was a little like that.”
Despite the issues they faced, they were determined to support her and help her through life. She was enrolled in a special education program to take advantage of her musical gifts. She almost had developed a perfect sense of pitch.
There are some interesting family dynamics going on between the mother, father, and two sisters. We hope that they are able to take whatever life gives them and continue to make lemonade when they get lemons.
