John C. McGinley Reflects on Family Holiday Traditions and a Special One with His Son Max

John C. McGinley and son Max.
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### John C. McGinley Discusses Family Holiday Traditions

In a recent interview, actor John C. McGinley shared insights into his family’s holiday traditions, focusing particularly on his son Max’s enthusiasm for the festive season.

“Maxie loves Thanksgiving, but he goes out of his mind for Christmas,” McGinley said, revealing the joy that the holiday brings to their family. The 66-year-old actor reflected on how everyone in the family cherishes the holiday spirit during Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

“Everyone out here loves Halloween,” McGinley noted. When discussing Thanksgiving, he mentioned that his wife, Nichole, had proposed travel plans for the holiday, but the family’s unanimous response was a resounding “No.”

For the McGinley family, Christmas holds a special place in their hearts, particularly for 28-year-old Max. “We put a tree in the big room; it looks like Rockefeller Center. It’s a guilty pleasure of mine, and it’s way too expensive and silly, but it makes everybody happy,” he added, indicating the importance of creating joyful memories.

Max and John in 2022 at the Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s 14th Annual Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show.

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John C. McGinley coparents Max with his ex, Lauren Lambert, and has two daughters, Billie, 17, and Kate, 15, with his wife Nichole. He spoke about the elaborate decorations that Nichole puts up for Christmas, revealing that she uses nearly 4,000 lights on the tree. “It takes her a day and a half to put these strands up,” he shared.

To help Max participate in decorating, the couple decided to use non-glass ornaments. “It was a tactile fine motor skill exercise for Maxie at first to get the hook on the branches,” McGinley explained, adding that Max has now become quite adept at this task.

Reflecting on his son’s journey, McGinley recalled that he and Lambert were initially unaware that Max had Down syndrome when he was born. “We did not have an amnio, so Max was to be a girl and all squared away. And then he showed up, and he was a boy. It was like getting hit by a cosmic hammer. It was very disorienting,” he recounted.

Despite early challenges in communication, he described Max as a high-functioning young adult who has made significant strides. “He became this pretty high-functioning, largely non-verbal, beautiful little boy and now young adult, whose biggest challenge is language,” he shared.

Max and John.

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Now, at 28 years old, Max is involved in numerous activities, including playing in a rock band with other individuals with Down syndrome, previously holding a job at Starbucks, and exploring new communication methods through Spellers, a program designed for nonspeaking or minimally speaking individuals.

“He’s a loving older brother,” McGinley remarked. “He loves going down to the beach with his sisters. We have a new dog, Duke, a black lab, and Max loves him.”