"I was just confronting a lot of things as a parent": The Son star Hugh Jackman opens up on his role in the film

Actor Hugh Jackman recently appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, wherein he spoke about his new film, The Son. He spoke about his character in the movie and his state of mind while filming. Jackman said,

“Diving into the material as a father, as an actor, and also, I'm still a son; my father passed away during filming, and I think I was just confronting a lot of things as a parent, fears that you have. And I just wasn't sleeping very well.”

The Son revolves around a man named Peter whose new life with his partner and baby is disrupted by his ex-wife and teenage son. The movie explores parenting and mental health issues, among various other things. It also stars Laura Dern and Vanessa Kirby in key roles.

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Hugh Jackman opens up about his personal experience affecting him while filming The Son

During the interview with Stephen Colbert, Hugh Jackman spoke extensively about The Son and how his own personal experiences affected him emotionally during filming. He said,

“I found myself getting really — thinking a lot, a lot of emotional turmoil. And I think it was just part of giving over to the part of, I think, giving over to the story, and I just sort of went with it. But thankfully, thank god, my wife was with me, my kids were with me. It was COVID. We were in a bubble, which was amazing for me, and they really helped get me through it.”

He also spoke about the importance of being open with your children and communicating clearly. He said that after his father's death, he has become more “vulnerable” with his children and mentioned that it has made him a “different parent.”

Hugh Jackman's The Son delves deep into the numerous complex facets of teenage mental health and the role of parents in a child's life during their adolescence.

The movie has received mixed-to-positive reviews from viewers and critics following its limited theatrical release in November last year. It is set for a wider US release on January 20, 2023.

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The Son focuses on a troubled teenager and his father

The Son centers around a teenage boy named Nicholas, whose parents are divorced. The film depicts the boy's struggles to deal with his parents while battling the various complicated aspects of adolescence. The official description of the movie, as per Sony Pictures Classics, reads,

“A cautionary tale that follows a family as it struggles to reunite after falling apart. THE SON centers on Peter (Hugh Jackman), whose hectic life with his infant and new partner Beth (Vanessa Kirby) is upended when his ex-wife Kate (Laura Dern) appears at his door to discuss their son Nicholas (Zen McGrath), who is now a teenager.”

The synopsis further reads,

“The young man has been missing school for months and is deeply troubled. Peter strives to take care of Nicholas as he would have wanted his own father (Anthony Hopkins) to have taken care of him while juggling his and Beth's new son, and at work an offer of a dream position in Washington. However, by reaching for the past to correct its mistakes, he loses sight of how to hold onto Nicholas in the present.”

Laura Dern plays the role of Hugh Jackman's ex-wife Kate in the movie. Both Dern and Jackman look phenomenal in the trailer, and viewers can expect the two stars to deliver powerful performances. Other supporting cast members include Zen McGrath, Vanessa Kirby, and many more.

The movie is a prequel to Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman's 2020 movie, The Father.

The Son will be out in theaters on January 20, 2023.