Humphrey Bogart & Lauren Bacall's Son Hid His Last Name & Spent Most of His Childhood Alone or with Nannies

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall's son, Stephen, had challenging childhood experiences that included spending most of his time alone or with nannies. Even so, he built a name for himself and enjoys a successful career.

Legendary American Film and Stage Actor Humphrey Bogart met fellow actor Lauren Bacall when Howard Hawks cast them to star in the movie "To Have and Have Not."

Not long after, the pair established a good relationship. They eventually became romantically involved and dated until 1945, when they walked down the aisle.

Four years later, they welcomed their first child, Stephen Bogart. Humphrey and Bacall named their boy after the former's character in "To Have and Have Not." Today, Stephen is 73 years old and has established himself as a successful writer, producer, and businessman.

In addition, he is also a great big brother to his sister Leslie, born in 1952, and his half brother from his mother's side, Sam, born in 1961. Here are some details about Stephen's life, including his struggles before becoming a well-known figure.

STEPHEN'S MOTHER DIDN'T COME BACK EVEN WHEN HIS NANNY FELL

Although Stephen has accomplished a lot in his career, his journey to success was not easy. As a child, the writer had to deal with his absentee parents.

Humphrey and Bacall were star actors and were always busy working on sets of movies, eventually spending little or no time with their kids. Sadly, Stephen and his sister paid the price. Nannies raised them, but the producer never complained. During an interview, he said:

"That's the way things were done at the time."

Even though Stephen did not complain, some of his experiences were terrible. When the writer was two years old, his parents were to travel to Africa to shoot "African Queen."

Humphrey and Bacall left little Stephen in his nanny's arms at the tarmac, Mrs. Hartley. In that instance, the woman had a cerebral hemorrhage.

That occurrence was not the most heartbreaking thing. What baffled Stephen the most was that his mother did not return to him. Thankfully, he did not hit the ground or sustain any injury. Eight years later, Stephen experienced another terrifying moment.

His mother had left him alone again, and a kid with a knife tried to take his baseball glove. Luckily for Stephen, it did not result in a physical altercation, and he came out of the situation safely.

HUMPHREY BOGART WASN'T THAT CLOSE WITH HIS SON

Apart from dealing with his parents' absence, Stephen also had to go through his father's untimely death — Humphrey died at 57 when his son was only eight years old. Before his demise, the stage actor did not have a close bond with his son.

Humphrey would spend his day at work, and when he returned in the evening to have dinner and spend time with his wife, it was already Stephen's bedtime. Speaking about the situation, the producer declared:

"Babies were just not his thing."

Irrespective of their relationship, Stephen believes that eventually, he and his father would have become closer if Humphrey was still alive. Stephen confessed that his dad had a boat named Santana where he felt alive.

So, it is safe to say that the father-son duo would have spent quality time on Santana when Stephen grew older. Unfortunately, his relationship with Humphrey prevented him from accurately viewing the late actor.

Stephen could not stick with Bacall's idea of Humphrey because he thought she idealized the "To Have and Have Not" star. Instead, Stephen turned to his father's old friends to get a clear and accurate idea of Humphrey.

IT WAS HARD FOR STEPHEN TO CARRY HIS FATHER'S NAME

Although Stephen did not always have his parents around, he tried to follow in their footsteps. The writer decided to join the movie industry, but he was a bad actor. Stephen also wanted to live privately, so he quit acting.

He tried his hand at other things and never told anyone his famous last name unless it was necessary. Stephen wanted people to know, like, or dislike him for who he was, not because of his famous parents.

The producer also recalled instances when people wanted a relationship with him because they knew his famous father, Humphrey. Overall, he concluded:

"The heaviest thing I have ever had to carry is my father's fame."

Today, it is great to see that the world recognizes Stephen for his hard work and impact without attributing his success to his famous parents.

STEPHEN IS NOW A MATURE MAN WITH HIS OWN LOVE STORY

Stephen's work life and childhood experience are not the only intriguing things. His love life landed him in the spotlight a few times. He has been married thrice and divorced twice.

He tied the knot for the first time with Dale Bogart in 1969 and stayed married for more than a decade before calling it quits in 1984. The following year, Stephen walked down the aisle for the second time with Barbara Bogart. The ex-couple was married for 25 years before they divorced in 2010.

Currently, the writer is married to Carla Soviero. The lovebirds first met each other in 1982 when they worked as producers for the Satellite News Channel. Stephen and Soviero became friends but were not romantically involved until May 2009.

The couple dated for a few years before getting engaged in October 2013, and on November 15, 2014, they exchanged vows in the Skylark in Manhattan. Soviero donned a floor-length satin sheath covered by hair loom lace for the occasion.

It was a beautiful ceremony, and Soviero was grateful to be spending forever with the man she loved. The pair have kids, but Soviero is a stepmom to Brooke Bogart, Richard Bogart, and Jamie Bogart, Stephen's children from his previous marriages.