The Last Thing He Told Me: Backstage With… Jennifer Garner on her new present

Jennifer Garner has a fame for being maternal – the star, who has three kids together with her ex-husband Ben Affleck, is open on social media in regards to the joys of parenting and when her now youngsters had been youthful she campaigned to get the regulation modified in California to guard them from the paparazzi.

But in her newest function in mini-series The Last Thing He Told Me, the actress performs Hannah, a lady thrust into motherhood when her husband disappears; leaving her to attempt to perceive what has occurred whereas defending her reluctant teenage step-daughter, Bailey, performed by Angourie Rice.

Garner instructed Sky News’ Backstage podcast that enjoying the character, who is not in any respect maternal, was a problem.

“It was really tricky for me, to be honest,” she stated. “That was not something that came naturally. And then Angouri is so charming and lovely, I just wanted to put my arm around her.

“I needed to be very cosy together with her, and he or she was truly fairly disciplined – she would not take a look at me the primary two episodes and I used to be so grateful that she stored me on observe.”

The sequence focuses on the creating relationship between step-mother and daughter, and explores the concept you do not have to think about your self as a pure mother or father with a view to be one.

“Sometimes being a brilliant parent is just being willing to have the hard conversation no one else is willing to have,” Garner stated.

“Sometimes it’s just being the grown-up in the room and a lot of the times it’s just about trusting your own instincts, as confusing as they may be, and as much as they may be counter to what everyone else is telling you.”

The Last Thing He Told Me relies on the bestselling e book by Laura Dave which got here out in 2021.

And whereas it is uncommon for a sequence to give attention to the connection between two feminine characters from totally different generations, Garner says that was one of many attracts.

“The fact that you’re constantly surprised by the show; you think it’s going to be one thing and then it’s another, all of the time – even the thriller aspect just keeps turning on a dime,” she stated. “But very much so I was drawn to the love story between two women in this story.”

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While Garner could not have associated to her character in each method, she says she ended up studying from her – even adopting Hannah’s career as a wooden turner as her personal passion.

“She’s quite still and I am quite… I’m more like a puppy and she’s really quite calm and still, and I did learn to sit back and listen,” she stated. “I ended up using wood turning as a way to find Hannah really, and it’s there that I found her stillness – I did wood turning for months and months, and I just did it last week. I love it, it’s become a new favourite pastime of mine!

“But you have to stand still when you have a lathe going, you know, 500 RPMs and you have a wood gouge and a wood block, you have to be so still and calm and just concentrated, and that’s where I think Hannah sits for me – in that space.”

The Last Thing He Told Me is obtainable to stream on Apple TV+. Hear our interview with Jennifer Garner on the newest episode of Backstage – the movie and TV podcast from Sky News