Surprise! Jeremy Renner is married

has revealed that he has

girlfriend

, the mother of his 17-month-old daughter

. The

star confirmed he had tied the knot, and even

during a special screening in Washington on Tuesday.

© Photo: Getty Images

"I have tried to protect my family's privacy,

. I don't need her to get hammered with my life," Jeremy, 43, told

. Asked outright whether he is a married man, he replied, "

." On his decision to keep the news under wraps, Jeremy added, "It's annoying being followed when I'm with my family. It's not just me – everyone (in Hollywood) has to deal with that. "I've been talked about a whole lot, because the less I put out there, the less people know, and it makes it interesting, I assume." Jeremy was more open when it came to discussing his baby daughter, who was born in March 2013.

© Photo: Getty Images

"It's the best thing I have ever done – doing it later on in life," he said. "By then I achieved a lot of things that I wanted to achieve; I'm so blessed for that. Now I can spend time with family. "

I need to get to her, and I'm very miserable when I don't see her. "I really love being a father. The only that has changed is my perspective on things. I still work, probably even more. It used to be all for myself so I'm not old and broke.

, and if it gets in the way of her well-being, then I stop," the

star said. "

. She's the greatest. She's into her sticker phase...

."