Tom Brady Says Watching 80 For Brady with His Kids Was the 'Best Part' of Making Movie

Hours before announcing his retirement from the NFL, Tom Brady stepped out on the red carpet Tuesday night in Los Angeles for the premiere of his new film, 80 For Brady.

Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE, the football star — making his first red carpet appearance since his divorce was finalized — opened up about watching the the movie for the first time with his kids by his side.

"I was pretty emotional through it," Brady, 45, recalled. "It was a great season and having my kids watch was the best part about the whole thing."

"Man, your kids teach you so much," he added, sharing his appreciation for his children. "You get to learn through new experiences with them and they're the biggest blessing of my life."

Brady saw a screening with his kids six weeks ago in New York City, ahead of the Hollywood premiere. He shares Vivian, 10, and Benjamin, 13, with his ex-wife Giselle Bündchen — whom he divorced in October — and is also dad to son Jack, 15, with his ex, Bridget Moynahan.

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RELATED: Tom Brady Says He's Retiring 'for Good' After 23 Seasons in the NFL in Emotional Video

Making a family-friendly movie was "the goal" for the superstar athlete, he said on Tuesday. "Families have always bonded over sports, but now they got a really cool sports movie to check out about some amazing women who acted and it's a great story," Brady said. "Everyone is going to have a lot of fun watching it."

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As far as getting some pointers on set, he handed over praise to his female costars — including Jane Fonda, Sally Field, and Lily Tomlin, all of whom attended Tuesday's premiere.

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"I've done quite a few things over the years in front of a camera, but it's still very challenging," he said to PEOPLE. "I worked at it and I didn't want to let anyone down out there. I certainly had the best, most inspiring women to help me on set. Every time I screwed up they'd tell me, 'No, you should think about it like this,' or, 'Focus on this line.' It really helped."

RELATED: Sally Field Says Tom Brady Was 'Nervous' on 80 For Brady Set: 'But He Was a Natural'

As far as how he took the critique since he is known for being a bit tough on himself on the field, the former Tampa Bay quarterback said he "loved it."

"It was really cool," Brady reiterated. "I love learning and obviously the more you do something, the better you're going to be at it, but it takes time to do that. You've got to commit time and energy to it. The more I can do it, the better and obviously they're amazing."

"It's so effortless with all these amazing women," he added of the film, which follows four best friends who embark on a trip to see Tom Brady play in the 2017 Super Bowl — the year the quarterback led the New England Patriots to a victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

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Brady had less luck this season, the Bucs losing their Wild Card playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys on Jan. 16.

That, it turns out, would be Brady's last professional game. On Wednesday morning, the seven-time Super bowl champ announced he was retiring "for good" this time, in reference to his decision to retire and then unretire over the course of 40 days last year.

"I'm retiring. For good. I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning I figured I'd just press record, and let you guys know first," an emotional Brady said in a video shared to social media.

"It won't be long-winded, you only get one super-emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year, so. I — really thank you guys — so much," he continued, while choking up, "to every single one of you, for supporting me, my family, my friends, teammates, my competitors. I could go on forever. There's too many. Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream."

"I wouldn't change a thing," he aded. "Love you all."

RELATED: Tom Brady Says He's 'Catching Up' on Life After the 'Emotional Loss' That Ended His Season

Brady gave no clues that he was leaving football behind on Tuesday night, but he did tell PEOPLE that despite the abrupt end of his football season weeks earlier, he hasn't yet been able to enjoy any free time.

"It's not much free time right now. I'm still decompressing," he said. "It just feels like it's been a few weeks since the season ended."

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Since that last walk-off from the field, the athlete has been soaking up more time with his kids, according to social media snaps he's been sharing.

In late January, Brady and daughter Vivian Lake had a father-daughter night out with David Beckham and the Inter Miami co-owner's daughter, Harper Seven, 11. "Daddy daughter dates ❤️," Brady captioned a shot of the four.

80 For Brady hits theaters Friday.