For his latest role in Prisoners, Hugh Jackman heavily researched the families of kidnapping victims as the actor felt he had a responsibility to not overdramatize the film’s sensitive subject matter.
Jackman plays Keller Dover, a man who goes to the extremes when his daughter and her neighborhood friend are abducted on Thanksgiving. After his daughter’s kidnapping, Dover rarely sleeps, drinks heavily, and eventually takes the investigation into his own hands.
“I felt a responsibility to not sensationalize that story, not just do a classic revenge torture thriller, but actually to delve into the realities of it,” Jackman said in an interview with MTV News.
Jackman read abduction stories and watched countless press conferencing with parents of missing children in order to prepare for the film.
Entertainment Wise reports that his role in the film even affected his real life role as a father. Jackman says his character’s mantra, “Pray for the best, but prepare for the worst,” deeply resonated with him. The father of two says he’s now more ready to handle the challenges that can arise while raising children.
Prisoners, starring Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal, is in theaters now.