Hugh Jackman, an actor, has claimed that making his most recent movie, The Son, was “a hot disaster.” I definitely realized how vulnerable I was, the 54-year-old X-Men actor said in response.
He portrays a successful attorney who has a depressed teenage son from a previous marriage named Zen McGrath.
According to Jackman, the film’s subject matter and his decision to resume acting after taking a break during the Covid lockdowns gave him “worry.”
Then, while he was filming the movie, his father passed away.
In response to the question of why he did not take time off for mourning, Jackman states that “my father actually never missed a day of work in his life.” I did think about what my father might say, and I imagined him telling me to go to work.
Nevertheless, it was challenging to make The Son, and the strain was heavy.
“I would be one of the least [likely] people I know to be a hot mess, but I was definitely one during this,” the speaker said.
While portraying Peter, a workaholic with a new partner, infant, ex-wife, and their disturbed teenage son, Jackman experienced sleepless nights. The actor claims he still sees the therapist who supported him during production.
In case actors and crew needed to chat about the disturbing material, the movie’s producers also had therapists on location.
As actor Hugh Jackman explains, “This was the first time I’d ever seen such a thing on a picture, and people used it and it was important.”
While intimacy counselors are now frequently used while filming sex scenes, Jackman also supports mental health care.
“There’s a small part of my brain that is more traditional and says, “Well, that’s up to you to work out. You figure out if you need to see a doctor for whatever reason—your foot, your mental health, etc.
“However, I believe it would be a sign from an employer that we recognize taking care of the full person is very, really essential, not just paying them,” the employee said.
The Film and TV Charity, which has created a free industry-wide resource to destigmatize poor mental health in film and TV, collaborated with See-Saw Films, who produced The Son.
Nine out of ten industry workers had a mental health issue, according to the charity’s 2021 Looking Glass poll.
The Whole Picture Toolkit, which has now been embraced by 35 productions, provides direction and advice on promoting mental health and well-being on the set as well as throughout pre- and post-production.
According to Jackman, it is “urgently needed” for talks about mental health concerns to be sparked by The Son.
He says: “I think it’s something we need to face, very, really soon. There is a great lack of understanding, ignorance, and shame around the subject.”
The film, which examines adolescent mental illness, absentee parenting, and the effects of divorce on children, is difficult to see.
Not everyone enjoyed The Son, which had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and will be released in the UK in February, despite Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian’s plaudits for the “beautifully crafted and intelligent drama.”
David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter called it “a gloomy movie about despair,” while Kevin Maher of The Times called it “a wearisomely predictable slab of family values hokum.”
But for his part in the drama, Jackman has already been nominated for a Golden Globe for best actor.
It comes at a time when some are debating the viability of gender-specific acting categories at award shows.
Jackman calls having a single, gender-neutral acting category in which all performers compete “a great fan.”
“Taking that action would be incredibly beneficial. I don’t understand why there are only two genders when everyone knows there is a much wider spectrum.
As his chances of winning would be reduced by half if there was only one non-binary acting category rather than a separate best actor and actress categories, he admits that he “might have just shot me in the foot” and continues, “Whatever the mix is, we should maybe just break down any of those categories that end up being divisive and unnecessary.”
If the past is any indication, Jackman may have a chance to win an Oscar this year. Florian Zeller, who co-wrote and directed the 2020 drama The Father, which gave its actor Sir Anthony Hopkins his second Oscar, also co-wrote and directed The Son.
Sir Anthony, well-known for his appearances in Westworld, The Silence of the Lambs, and the Thor films, has a brief cameo in The Son.
And Jackman offers a fascinating perspective on how Sir Anthony is still productive after more than six decades in the film industry.
“He fired for a day. He wrote Florian, the director, an email every day for six months. Florian told me, “I received as many emails about this single movie scene as I did for The Father, where he is in every scene.” He treats it so gravely.
And on set, they kept up their methodical manner.
He once desired to perform his close-up again. But what he did was so fantastic, I added as I pulled Florian away.
“Oh yeah, I have everything I need, but I guess he simply misses acting,’ he replied. He had not performed in 18 months. I believe he simply missed it and wanted another chance.
Jackman, who played Wolverine in nine big-budget movies and will return for at least one more, is departing with The Son.
He gained fame on Broadway, where he is now appearing in The Music Man, and in cinematic musicals including Les Misérables and The Greatest Showman. So how does he choose his roles?
I’m constantly looking for new experiences that will push and frighten me, says Jackman.
By the way, I was always afraid when I played Wolverine. That is completely different from who I am as well.
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