Hugh Jackman_ “I’m A Different Parent Now” After Filming “The Son”

It's not gonna work out. Hey everybody, look at that. You know who that is. That's Hugh Jackman, everybody. The story of this song focuses in many ways on mental health. And you said that you were, am I right, something of a hot mess making this movie. I believe I'm quoting you correctly. You seem like a fairly well-adjusted person. Why were you a hot mess doing this movie? So the movie, just to give people an idea, it centers around the son, played by Sam McGrath, Nicholas, who is a 17 year old going through a mental health crisis. No one's really sure. I've left his mother. I now have a new wife and a baby and a moved house. There's a number of factors going on, but it's unclear as to why he's gone into this dive of depression and he's really, really, really struggling, not going to school and no one knows what to do. And every scene is this terrifying fear as a parent where you don't know what to do. You don't know how to help. You're doing your best. Everything seems to not work. And I think diving into the material as a father, as an actor, and also I'm still a son. You know, 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. I found myself getting really thinking a lot and a lot of emotional turmoil and I think it was just part of giving over to the part and 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. Well, I'm so sorry to hear about your father. I did not know that he passed. Um We have a clip from the movie. It's you and your son. Is there anything we need to know? Yeah, it's not long after I found out that he hasn't been going to school and he's been lying to me about it. I've really been trying to help him and feeling that we'd be making progress and all of a sudden I've realized there's been a lot of lies, a lot of deception, and I'm at my wit's end basically. Yes. Take back what you just said, Nicholas. Do you hear me? You take back what you just said. Now. Asshole. Me? An asshole? Me? Haven't I always done everything for you? I stayed with your mother for years for your sake. So why are you saying this? Why? Why? Tell me why. Is it because I fell in love with another woman? Is that my crime? How is that any of your business? I have the right to reinvent my life. It's my life. You hear me? It is my life. I'm sorry, Nicholas. I don't know what just happened. As a dad, it's hard to watch that. Yeah. As a dad, it's hard to watch that. I did hug my kids especially tight that night. I was wondering, I was wondering, I can imagine playing this role and sort of being in the middle man as son and father at the same time. Yeah. I'm especially after the passing of your father, did it make you think differently about your job, your role as a father in your relationship with your family? I think I'm a different parent now because of it. I think I'm more open to being vulnerable with them, saying things like I'm not sure or, you know, realizing realizing that sometimes I may be preoccupied by something going on with me, like I'm preoccupied about the opening of The Music Man, for example, and then realizing that they may think they've done something and just me not communicating because I'm thinking, oh, I don't want to burden them with that. It doesn't help. And so now I find myself saying, hey guys, sorry if I feel distant. I'm really nervous about this thing. And if I've gone off in my head, it's nothing to do with you. And they seem to really appreciate it. I've got a 17 and 22 year old and I think that idea of communicating more not necessarily not just because you're the father, you don't have to know. You don't have to know what to do or what the best thing is and it's okay to say that. And then of course they use that and wrap you around your little finger, you know. As well they should. Absolutely. Hugh, lovely to see you. Thanks for being here. You're most welcome. The Sun opens in theaters this Friday. Hugh Jackman, everybody. We'll be right back with a performance by Mimi Webb.