Mark Ronson embarks on 'hopeful dad bootcamp'
Mark Ronson is getting in shape for fatherhood.
The 46-year-old producer - who is married to actress Grace Gummer - has started "hopeful dad bootcamp" because he knows he's older than many first time parents and wants to be in good health for the sake of his future children.
He admitted: "I’ve started hopeful dad bootcamp. I saw a friend of mine pick up a newborn the other day and he winced. I was like, “All right, we start Pilates tomorrow. We start yoga. I’m getting ready for this.” I’m 46 so I’ve left fatherhood quite late already but that’s the goal."
Mark believes being a "control freak" has saved him from becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol, as he admitted he's come close to substance "abuse" in the past.
He told The Times magazine: "I don’t really party any more. I’ve had periods where I’ve partied a little dangerously and toyed with abuse, which, knowing that there is a history of addiction in my family, was playing with fire.
"I think I kept it together just enough because I am a control freak. The idea of being able to pop home to the family and keep up the façade was still weirdly important to me."
And the 'Uptown Funk' hitmaker feels "lucky" he can drink in moderation.
He added: "Because drugs and alcohol are so intertwined, I’d think, “Will I have to quit everything? Will I ever be able to drink without going to that next level?” But I’m lucky I’m still able to enjoy an occasional glass of beer and wine, which ten years ago didn’t seem like something that would be an option."
Mark moved to New York as a child when his mother, Ann Dexter, married Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones, and though he met a lot of famous people, he kept the encounters to himself in case he'd get "slapped" by his classmates, while secretly envying their "quiet and stable" lives.
He said: "My New York upbringing was surreal, with people like Robin Williams tucking me into bed. There was a giddy thrill of being around these people, but I was also really jealous of my friends’ home lives. They had mums that seemed to be off The Wonder Years who would make hot chocolate and had quiet and stable lives. I guess there was a bit of the grass is always greener.
"I tended to keep some of the more ridiculous stuff going on at home to myself. If I started saying, 'My friend Sean Lennon and I had this sleepover at Michael Jackson’s house,' I was going to get slapped.
"I kept it to myself when I’d wake up in the night and my mum and stepdad were having a wild party and I’d spot Diana Ross or a member of Duran Duran."
