Florian Zeller‘s melodrama The Son had its world premiere in September 2022 at the 79th Venice International Film Festival. Until its wide release in the first quarter of 2023 (following a limited theatrical release in late 2022), The Son had mostly flown under the radar. Part of the reason it bombed at the Box Office could be as a result of poor marketing.
Its Hugh Jackman-led cast and its explored themes could have been a great marketing attraction if better attention had been given to it. In the end, Despite its below-average critical ratings and failing in many areas where it could have excelled, The Son still leaves several lessons for viewers. These are the top cast members of Florian Zeller’s The Son (2022).
Hugh Jackman as Peter Miller
A known and successful leading man actor, Hugh Jackman, is cast as The Son‘s protagonist. He plays the character of Peter Miller, a second-time husband and father. While he relishes his perfect new world of having a new family, his ex-wife’s knock on the door brings him back to reality. His older son, Nicholas, hasn’t attended classes for about a month, and his ex-wife, Kate, needs Peter to play a fatherly role. With few options, he brings Nicholas into the new home he shares with his new wife and newborn baby.
As The Son‘s plot unfolds, Peter realizes Nicholas is depressed and suicidal. Being a cause of Nicholas’ childhood trauma (resulting from the divorce), Peter does his best to be there for his older son. However, this begins to cause a rift in his new family. While film audiences look forward to Hugh Jackman’s return to play Logan/Wolverine in Deadpool 3 (2024), The Son would have been a great place to see the actor in a drama. Besides playing Wolverine, Jackman is known for roles in Swordfish (2001), Van Helsing (2004), The Prestige (2006), Les Misérables (2012), The Greatest Showman (2017), and Reminiscence (2021).
Laura Dern as Kate Miller
Academy Award-winning actress Laura Dern returned to starring in film in 2022 after her last supporting role in Greta Gerwig‘s 2019 Little Women. Dern plays Hugh Jackman’s on-screen ex-wife Kate. Despite having stayed divorced for years, Kate runs to Peter for help when their 17-year-old son begins displaying strange behaviors at home and in school. As the film’s plot progresses, it’s evident that Kate still loves and cares for Peter. However, for his happiness, she had accepted the divorce. Laura Dern gave a stellar performance, irrespective of how the entire film turned out for critics. Before The Son, Laura Dern is known for her performances in Blue Velvet (1986), the Jurassic Park franchise, Little Fockers (2010), The Fault in Our Stars (2014), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), and her Oscar-winning role in Marriage Story (2019).
Vanessa Kirby as Beth
Beth is Peter Miller’s second wife and the mother of his second child. After Peter accepts to have Nicholas live with him, Beth hesitantly agrees to the arrangement. Although she hoped for Nicholas’ recovery, she’s the first to notice Nicholas’ depression is more than his parents realize. She plays the supportive wife until the end of the film. English actress Vanessa Kirby plays Beth in a supporting role. Vanessa Kirby’s notable appearances include Kill Command (2016), Mission: Impossible – Fallout and sequels, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019), and Napoleon (2023).
Zen McGrath as Nicholas Miller
Australian actor Zen McGrath plays Nicholas Miller, the estranged son of Peter Miller, battling with depression. Although his parents have found a way to cope with their divorce, Nicholas is tormented by the trauma of growing up without his parents living together. While it seems he’s refusing to tell his problems to his father, it becomes increasingly obvious Nicholas struggles to fully understand why he’s as sad and depressed as he is. The Son isn’t Zen McGrath’s debut but his most prominent performance. He starred in Aloft (2014), Dig TV series (2015), and Red Dog: True Blue (2016).
Anthony Hopkins as Anthony Miller
Two-time Academy Award-winner Anthony Hopkins makes an appearance in Florian Zeller’s The Son. He plays the character of Anthony Miller, Peter Miller’s father and Nicholas Miller’s grandfather. Anthony Miller is a politician who focused on his career rather than his family. When Peter visits his father during one of his campaign visits to Washington DC, Anthony unremorsefully tells him to grow up. While he may come off as a villain in The Son, Anthony has no regrets about his life choices.
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