“Station 19” Star Boris Kodjoe Surprises His Daughter at College: 'When Daddy Shows Up Out of Nowhere'

The actor's 18-year-old daughter, Sophie, began her freshman year at Howard University this fall

Boris Kodjoe pulled off a sweet surprise for his daughter Sophie.

The Station 19 star, 50, revealed that he recently visited the 18-year-old at Howard University, where she began her freshman year this fall — only, she had no idea he was even coming.

Kodjoe shared a video on Instagram of the adorable moment when he surprised Sophie, who appeared overcome with excitement to see her dad. He explained the setup in the caption, writing, "When mommy is on FaceTime telling her that we’ll see her on Thanksgiving and Daddy shows up out of nowhere and surprises her…"

In the clip, Sophie could be seen on the phone inside a campus building as Kodjoe quietly snuck up behind her. He then reached down and touched the back of her leg, prompting her to jump and scream before spinning around to see her dad standing there.

She excitedly jumped into Kodjoe's arms, giving him such a fierce hug that the pair nearly toppled over. After the long embrace, Sophie remembered that her mom — Kodjoe's wife, And Just Like That… star Nicole Ari Parker — was still on the phone and the two shared a laugh before the teen cheered, "Yay!"

Kodjoe's caption featured a series of hashtags including two referencing his recent back surgery: "#SheForgotDaddyHadBackSurgery and #HadToActivateTheGlutesRealQuick."

Ahead of Sophie's departure for college, Parker, 53, spoke to PEOPLE in July about the bittersweet milestone. She said at the time that while she felt confident that Sophie was ready for the big step, she knew her daughter's absence would leave a “hole in our hearts and in our home.”

“We’re going to just pack the Kleenex and buy a microwave for the room and just sit there and cry,” she added, noting that having Sophie away at college would be "a big adjustment" for the whole family.

Related: Nicole Ari Parker and Boris Kodjoe Recall Their 2005 'Storybook' German Wedding in 900-Year-Old Church

“I'm just going to miss her. And her little brother, who’s 6'6", so he's the big little brother, it's going to be a big adjustment for him," she said, referring to her 16-year-old son, Nicolas.

"Their rooms are right next to each other. We moved into this house when they were little, so they still share a Jack and Jill bathroom,” Parker continued. “I feel sorry for Nicolas now with all of her makeup and hair products on his side of the bathroom, but he's going to miss that.”

In honor of Sophie's first day at Howard, Kodjoe posted a nostalgic slideshow of throwback photos from her childhood as he wished her good luck on the start of her college adventure.

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"Happy first day of school, Sophie-cakes," he wrote in the caption accompanying the video, which was fittingly set to Eve's "Who's That Girl?" hit.

"You had to figure out a lot as a young girl. To see you get ready to soar into your life with certainty and confidence makes all the sense in the world to us. We love you and we are so proud of you. ❤️ You got next!"

Related: Adorable Photos of Nicole Ari Parker & Boris Kodjoe

Kodjoe made the trip to Howard's Washington, D.C., campus to visit Sophie after undergoing a double laminectomy in late August — his second such procedure in 10 years. In an Instagram video filmed as he was lying on a hospital gurney before heading into the operating room, he told his followers he was hoping the surgery would alleviate the acute back pain he was experiencing.

"My sciatic nerve has been impacted for a while now, and it's super painful all day, every day. So I'm taking care of it today," he explained.

Just two weeks into his recovery, he was already taking a gentle walk on the treadmill as part of his rehab.

"This is Day 1 of getting back to #KodjoeDadBod. Step by step. It’s not a sprint, it’s a triathlon. 💪🏾," he wrote on Instagram, jokingly adding, "I’ll be back!” (Black German Terminator Voice)."

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