Jason Watkins has opened up about his uncertainty playing the role of a man who has lost his child – 12 years after the death of his own daughter.
The actor, 60, sadly lost his daughter Maude in 2011 after developing a respiratory infection and then sepsis. She was two years old.
But Jason has since starred in the new Channel 5 series The Catch, where he plays a fisherman struggling with the death of his son in an accident several years earlier.
Speaking about his reluctance to take on the role, Jason told The Times: “When I first read the script, I thought, ‘Oh my God, can I do this? “”
He added: “I decided that if I really took care of myself, I could go. But I had to be careful because it’s obviously a tough place to mine.
Candid: Jason Watkins has opened up about his uncertainty playing the role of a man who lost his child – 12 years after the death of his own daughter
The actor has previously been very open about his journey with grief.
And speaking of the particular importance of men’s openness, he said: “It’s really important for men.
“In my experience, they are more likely to walk away and try to deal with the grief on their own.
“They struggle with the language of grief, so it’s important that I step in. If I can help, I will.
“We’re not ‘everything happens for a reason’ people,” Jason added in his interview.
“I don’t agree with this attitude of Forrest Gump: life is a box of chocolates and you don’t know what you’re going to get. I felt that we had been deceived and intimidated by fate.
“It was a terrible random act, and it made us determined to have another baby.”
Last month, the actor appeared on BBC‘s The One Show to discuss her role on the show.
Tragic: The actor, 60, sadly lost his daughter Maude in 2011 after developing a respiratory infection and then sepsis. She was two years old
Jason, who lost Maude on New Years Day in 2011, said he thought the show would be a good way to express his grief and hopefully help others.
He said: ‘I have always wanted, and my wife Clara, we lost our daughter Maude to sepsis in 2011. We are on bereavement charities but still want to speak out if you are an artist for things that really matter.
“With this scenario came an ordinary guy who had lost a child and how it traumatized him and affected him and how he tried to deal with it.”
Interview: Jason discussed the death of his daughter Maude and its connection to her role in the new Channel 5 series The Catch
Jason said there were a few scenes he found “very difficult” to film, but considers himself lucky to have been able to tell such a story.
He said: “It may be a male thing, that men may be trying to deal with, ‘I’m not going to go, I’m not going to be emotional.
“I think that’s where men struggle mentally. Ed does that. I knew what I was taking.
“There are a couple of scenes that were very difficult to film, but we’re lucky as actors to be able to share our stories in a way and hope that connects with the audience.”
In 2010, a persistent cough and consequent respiratory problems prompted two consecutive visits to an A&E hospital, where Maude was initially diagnosed with croup, a type of respiratory infection.
But within two weeks of her first symptoms appearing, she was dead. She had indeed suffered from sepsis, an insidious disease in which the immune system reacts violently to the infection, attacks its own tissues and eventually leads to organ failure.
Role: The actor appeared on BBC’s The One Show to discuss his role in the series, where he plays a fisherman struggling with the death of his son in an accident several years prior.
Sepsis, known as the “silent killer”, occurs when an infection such as blood poisoning triggers a violent immune response in which the body attacks its own organs.
If detected early enough, it is easily treated with antibiotics and intravenous fluids, but these should be given as soon as sepsis is suspected – it strikes with frightening speed and, for every hour of delay, the risk patient death rate increases by 8%.
Earlier this month, the star and his wife Clara celebrated 12 years since Maude’s death, with Jason also sharing a heartfelt tribute to his daughter on Twitter.
So sad: In 2010, a persistent cough prompted two back-to-back visits to an A&E hospital, where Maude was initially diagnosed with croup, but two weeks later died of sepsis.
Detailing how they marked the occasion, he told The Mirror: “Clara and I are both very emotional on this day and as the anniversary approaches. We just walk up to her bench with family, and with friends, and then everyone comes back to us. It’s a good thing to do.
Jason and his wife Clara – who already had eldest daughter Bessie – decided to try for another child after Maude’s death.
Their son Gilbert, now 11, was born a year later.
Couple: The star and his wife Clara celebrated 12 years since Maude’s death last month, with Jason also sharing a heartfelt tribute to his daughter on Twitter (pictured 2019)
