All About “Lois & Clark” Star Dean Cain's Son Christopher (and the Special Meaning Behind His Name)

Dean Cain is a proud single dad to his son, Christopher Dean Cain.

The actor and his then-girlfriend, model Samantha Torres, welcomed their son in June 2000. After a custody battle in 2003 that granted the couple joint custody, Dean assumed full custody of Christopher in 2011.

Dean described his son as his “favorite person on the whole planet” during an August 2014 interview with PEOPLE. After custody of their son was decided, Dean said that “stability-wise this is what’s best for him.”

The Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman star shared that at times, it got “difficult” balancing life as a dad and his work schedule as he traveled to and from set to PTA meetings and field trips. However, he noted, “I’ve learned to make the decisions that put him first.”

A few years later, during a January 2018 appearance on the Today show, Dean opened up about how he maintained his connection to Christopher as he grew into his own.

“I am just so affectionate with my son, but as they get older, it’s a little more complicated sometimes," he explained. "But I’m madly in love with him, and it’s the greatest thing in the world.”

Here’s everything to know about Dean Cain’s son, Christopher Dean Cain.

He was born in 2000

Dean and his then-girlfriend Samantha welcomed their son Christopher on June 11, 2000.

The actor reflected on his son’s birth in a video shared on the official Facebook page for the movie God’s Not Dead: In God We Trust in August 2024. At the time, he explained, “I love to hear people’s ideas on how things happened in their lives to bring them to God. For me, it was when my son was born.”

“I was 33 years old, and I saw the first moment he entered this world, and it changed me,” he continued. “Suddenly having someone more important, a human being more important to me than me. Someone that I would, without a hesitation, give my life for. All of those things sort of make sense to me.”

He was given family names

Dean was born to parents Roger Tanaka and Sharon Thomas. However, after Sharon remarried Christopher Cain in 1969, the director and screenwriter adopted Dean and his brother, Roger.

“My original given name was Tanaka, but when my mom remarried when I was 4, I took his name, which is Cain," Dean told ABC News in December 2014.

When the actor's son was born, he was given both of their names, Christopher Dean.

He was raised by a single father

After Dean and Samantha initially shared custody of their son in 2003, Dean was later awarded full custody of Christopher in 2011, a decision mutually made with Samantha to provide stability.

In a September 2022 interview with Fox News, Dean explained that his own experience being adopted by his dad helped inform his choice to choose fatherhood over his career.

"As soon as I was presented the choice, it was like, 'I'm going to be a dad,' “ Dean said. "My father adopted me when I was 4, and I know how important that was for my life. Nothing in my life has been as big a factor as having my father there to raise me.”

He added, "And I just think it's hugely important, and I would never change what I've done in terms of being a father versus a career.”

Dean also shared how parenthood “affected” his career. Although he was offered a major TV role, he didn't consider for "even a split second" not putting Christopher first.

He has two half-siblings

While Christopher is Dean’s only child, he has a pair of half-siblings through his mother. Samantha is also a mom to twins Elijah and Isabelle, who were born on Feb. 4, 2011.

In an August 2014 interview with PEOPLE, Dean opened up about the relationship between Christopher and his half-siblings. “I’d do anything for those two," he said.

Samantha has documented the special bond between Christopher and her younger children on her social media, including a sweet snap of the trio at Disneyland in February 2018 and supporting Christopher at his high school graduation in May 2018.

He graduated from college in 2023

After graduating high school in May 2018, Christopher earned his college degree from High Point University in May 2023.

Dean celebrated his son’s educational milestone in an Instagram post. He snapped a photo of his son donning his cap and gown as he walked across the stage with his diploma. Dean captioned the picture with a simple congratulatory message, writing, “The Graduate!!! #ProudDad ❤️.”

He’s inspired his dad’s career

Over the years, Dean has shared how his son has inspired the roles he took on.

“I started making kids movies when he was a little kid,” Dean told Christian Headlines in March 2023. “Not all the films I make are faith-based and they're not all inspirational, but a large majority are because I want my son to be able to see those films, I want him to learn from them.”

He added, “I want him to watch the way I'm living my life and the choices that I'm making and say, ‘I see why he's doing that. I see why he wants to help out.’ “

Dean also previously spoke to Fox News in September 2022 about his time making children’s movies and how his son fit into the picture.

“He'd come on set and see us running around with a dog, and all his friends watched those movies. They weren't the big blockbusters, but also, I was a single father,” he explained. "I couldn't leave for four months. Who is going to raise my son? No, it's not going to happen.”

He continued, “So, I did not, and I made films that he could be around. I made different kinds of films as well, but I saw how those affected him, and I was like, ‘This is great.’ "

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