Ed Burns Shares His Emotions '3 Weeks In' to Being an Empty Nester: 'Wish They Were Still Home' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Ed Burns, Grace Burns, Fin Burns.Photo: Panas Group via Getty

Ed Burnsis keeping himself busy to cope with his kids being away from home.

The actor, 56, chatted with PEOPLE at the Toronto International Film Festival following the release of his new filmMillers in Marriage,where he opened up about his childrenGrace, 20, and Finn, 18, whom he shares with supermodel wifeChristy Turlington. The couple became empty nesters in August after sending both kids off to college.

“Yeah, we’re empty. My kids are in college. They’re out of the house. We’re three weeks into it. It’s fresh,” the dad of two tells PEOPLE, adding that he’s grateful he and Turlington are keeping themselves busy for the next few months.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Christy Turlington, Ed Burns, Grace, Finn.Christy Turlington /Instagram

Christy Turlington /Instagram

“I’m glad that we’re both pretty busy this fall, so we’ve done that film. She’s got a big charity called Every Mother Counts, so she’s got a couple of trips planned around fundraising for that, and things like that,” he explains. “We’ll have to deal with it, I think, in earnest in February.”

“It’s like when I was traveling, you’d always text like, ‘Hi, did everyone get off to school all right?’ I think it’s like the characters in the film,” he says, “You just miss them terribly, you wish that they were still home, but you’re also thankful that they’re not. Right?”

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

“[The goal is to raise] independent kids who are ready to take on the world. Fortunately, our kids are, but you definitely … the house is quieter,” Burns adds.

Back in June, Turlington, 55, sharedher own thoughts on empty nestingwhile celebrating Finn’s high school graduation with a rare family snap on Instagram.

“For now, I just want to share how grateful I am. Grateful that me and my child have reached this milestone,” she continued.

source: people.com