Australian actor Hugh Jackman has opened up about how he related with his late father and the way he’s currently handling his relationship with his children while revealing details about his new film, “The Son.”
The movie detailed Jackman’s character’s mistake with his teenage son and the impact it had on him, with the actor revealing that the film has had a profound influence on his parenting style.
Read on for more details.
Hugh Jackman Says He Knew His Father Was ‘Gone’
The “Logan” actor’s father, Christopher, passed away on Father’s Day in 2021, but Jackman divulged that he was already seeing changes in him before he kicked the bucket.
Around the time of Jackman’s father’s death, he started filming his new movie, “The Son,” which documents the progression of a troubled relationship between a father and his teenage son.
Jackman went on to share more details about his father’s death. “He was ostensibly gone mentally,” the actor said. “He would still smile a bit. I didn’t know he was going to physically pass away, but I knew it was kind of a goodbye.”
He also shared that the reason he didn’t halt work on the project at the time of his father’s passing was that he was sure his father wouldn’t have wanted him to. “My father never missed a day of work,” he divulged.
“I could feel him. I knew if he could talk to me, he’d be like, ‘You’ve got to go to work! What are you talking about?’ I felt his presence on the set,” Jackman added.
The actor shared the news of his father’s passing via his Instagram handle. Jackman captioned the post, “In the early hours of Father’s Day, my dad peacefully passed away and while there is deep sadness, I am filled with such gratitude and love.”
‘The Son’ Impacted Hugh Jackman’s Parenting Style
During his appearance on the “Graham Norton Show,” Jackman, 54, shared that the new movie, which follows a father’s troubled relationship with his teenage son and the son’s mental health battle, impacted how he parented his kids.
Jackman shares two adopted kids with his 67-year-old wife Deborra-Lee Furness; Oscar, 22, and Ava, 17. He explained that the movie “changed me as a parent.”
“One beautiful line in the script is ‘Love isn’t always enough,’ which is one of the most difficult things for a parent to hear,” he stated per Daily Mail.
Read Related Also: California Officially Becomes a Sanctuary State for Child Mutilation
He added, “I realized it is okay to say to my own children, ‘I don’t know,’ and to be open and vulnerable. I used to think they wanted surety and strength from me, but I now share with them things I wouldn’t have before.”
Jackman revealed that he first saw the movie with his kids, which was a very emotional experience for him. “The movie itself did change me as a parent. I’m more vulnerable in front of my kids emotionally. I’m more verbal about stuff I’m going through, even if it’s stuff to do with them,” he shared.
He Hopes ‘The Son’ Brings Up Conversations About Mental Health
The “X-Men” star went on to discuss how tough it was to film the movie and his hopes of seeing its creation spark more mental health awareness conversations.
The film, directed by Florian Zeller, explained how Jackman, who played Peter Miller, had his mistakes with his son, Nicholas (played by Zen McGrath), come back to haunt him and his race against time to save the situation.
According to Daily Mail, bringing the film to life was such an emotional task that a psychologist had to be on the set to assist in times of occasional breakdowns.
“The subject matter was really hard,” Jackman explained. “Many days, crew members would say, ‘I need help.’ Some of them would leave for a few hours,” he recounted.
Hugh Jackman Says Therapy Has Helped Him
Jackman recently revealed that he had begun therapy to address a lifelong trauma he endured when he was eight years old.
According to The Sun, Jackman was brought up alongside his brother by his single father after his mother, Grace, left him when he was a child and relocated to England following her struggle with postnatal depression.
Jackman previously didn’t see the need for therapy but shared that his recent visits to the psychiatrist have done him good.
“It’s helped me a lot. With therapy, it either works for you or it doesn’t,” he said. The “Deadpool” actor also shared that therapy is helping him improve his relationship with his loved ones.
“Most importantly, it is helping me to be more relational with the people I love in my life, really understanding and living in their shoes and being clear enough to be able to see them,” he explained.
