Leighton Meester Says It's a 'Joy' to Watch Husband Adam Brody as a Dad: 'It's Really Amazing'

The couple, who share two children together, typically keep their kids and family life out of the spotlight

Photo: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

Leighton Meester has loved to watch husband Adam Brody as a doting dad.

The 35-year-old actress, who stars in Netflix's new thriller The Weekend Away, recently chatted with Access Hollywood about Brody's role as a father to their two kids, sharing that it is a "joy" for her to watch her husband as a dad.

"I get the joy and the pleasure of watching him become a father," says Meester, who shares 6-year-old daughter Arlo Day and a son, whom they welcomed in 2020, with Brody, 42.

"He's everything that I imagined he would be as a father when we [first] decided to have kids," she continues. "It is really amazing he has become that and [is] becoming every day more so."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

She also specifically spoke to his strengths as a girl dad.

"He has a real understanding...and kindness to me in all the ways that I feel so empowered in my femininity. I see him connecting with our daughter in that way. I think it's innate for him," says Meester.

Last week, the actress spoke to Cosmopolitan UK about her role as a new mom in The Weekend Away and shared why she instantly connected with her character.

Adam Brody (left) and Leighton Meester. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty

"When I got the script and the breakdown, originally it was like 'a 35-year-old with a 10-month-old.' That is exactly me," the Gossip Girl alum said in a video interview. "I really was excited about playing a new mother who's having a weekend away for the first time — which is both the most exciting prospect and the most terrifying when you have a new baby, especially for the first time. "

Meester continued, "[The Weekend Away is] definitely centered around her journey to motherhood and how that is coloring her experiencing and how she's seeing the world now. I thought that was really something I could really dig into and enjoy."

In October 2020, Brody opened up to PEOPLE about being a father, shortly after the arrival of his and Meester's second child together.

"It's been pretty magical," Brody said at the time. "It's such a crazy time for everyone and we're so, so, so fortunate that we have some of the security we do and have the flexibility with our jobs we do. We talk about it all the time and we're just ridiculously fortunate and lucky."