A new film starring Hugh Jackman opens in cinemas in January and it took a lot for the actor to film it, he now explains. When his father also died during this time, the 54-year-old even sought psychological help on the set and privately.
The shooting of his new film "The Son", which opens in cinemas on January 26th, demanded a lot from Hugh Jackman. The actor revealed this in an interview with the "BBC". In the drama, Jackman plays the stressed-out father of a teenage son struggling with depression.
The subject of the film and the fact that it was shooting again after a long break from Corona scared Jackman. "I'm probably one of those people who would least describe themselves as utter chaos," he explained. "But I certainly was during that time."
Hugh Jackman's father died while filming The Son. Despite the grief, the Australian didn't take any time off from work. "My dad has never actually missed a day of work in his life," said the actor. "I imagined what my father would say and he said, 'Go to work'".
Nevertheless, Hugh Jackman suffered from insomnia. "I realized how vulnerable I was." He sought private psychological help. But psychologists were also on the set so that the actors had someone to talk to about the mentally demanding subject. "It was the first time I've seen anything like this on a movie," said Jackman. "And people used it, too."
Though there's an "old-school part" in his brain that says he should take care of his own health, Jackman applauds the move by the production company, saying it's a "sign from the employer that it's really important to take care of the whole person . Not only about the payment, but also about their well-being in all forms."
"The Son" is the new film by "The Father" director Florian Zeller - and something of a follow-up film. Anthony Hopkins, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for "The Father," makes a brief appearance in "The Son" in his role from the previous film.
Hugh Jackman could emulate Hopkins by winning an Oscar. At least one nomination seems likely in professional circles. He has already been nominated for the Golden Globe.
