Los Angeles, Dec 20 (IANS): ‘Wolverine star Hugh Jackman was in the middle of a really bad phase while filming ‘The Son.

The 54-year-old actor stars alongside Laura Dern, Vanessa Kirby and Sir Anthony Hopkins in the drama film, and he admits that he struggled throughout the shoot.

The actor suffered from anxiety during the film's shoot, reports ‘Female First UK'.

The Hollywood star -- who plays a successful lawyer with a teenage son who is suffering from depression -- explained: "I certainly realised how vulnerable I was."

Hugh admitted that the movie's subject matter and return to work following Covid-19 lockdowns caused him to experience "anxiety".

According to ‘Female First UK', the actor's troubles were compounded by the death of his dad Christopher, who passed away in September 2021.

Explaining why he didn't take any time off to grieve his dad's death, Hugh told the BBC: "My father actually never missed a day of work in his life. I did imagine what my father would say and he would say, 'Go to work'."

Hugh actually suffered sleepless nights throughout the shoot and he continues to see a therapist. The actor is now encouraging other people to seek help if they're experiencing similar issues.

‘Female First UK' quoted him as saying, "There's a little part of the old school part of my brain [that thinks], 'Well, that's up to you to work out'. If you need to go to a doctor, for whatever reason, your foot, your mental health, you know, you work that out.

"But I think it certainly would be a sign from an employer that we understand taking care of the whole person, not just paying them, but taking care of their well-being in all forms is really, really important."

Hugh believes that mental health issues need to be spoken about more openly.

He said: "There is a real lack of knowledge and ignorance and shame around the subject and I think it's something we need to confront, really, really quickly."