The Last Thing He Told Me: Backstage With… Jennifer Garner on her new show | Ents & Arts News

Jennifer Garner has a reputation for being maternal – the star, who has three children with her ex-husband Ben Affleck, is open on social media about the joys of parenting and when her now teenagers were younger she campaigned to get the law changed in California to protect them from the paparazzi.

But in her latest role in mini-series The Last Thing He Told Me, the actress plays Hannah, a woman thrust into motherhood when her husband disappears; leaving her to try to understand what has happened while protecting her reluctant teenage step-daughter, Bailey, played by Angourie Rice.

Garner told Sky News’ Backstage podcast that playing the character, who isn’t at all maternal, was a challenge.

“It was really tricky for me, to be honest,” she said. “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 wanted to be very cosy with her, and she was actually quite disciplined – she wouldn’t look at me the first two episodes and I was so grateful that she kept me on track.”

The series focuses on the developing relationship between step-mother and daughter, and explores the idea that you don’t have to think of yourself as a natural parent in order 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 said.

“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 is based on the bestselling book by Laura Dave which came out in 2021.

And while it’s unusual for a series to focus on the relationship between two female characters from different generations, Garner says that was one of the draws.

“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 said. “But very much so I was drawn to the love story between two women in this story.”

Click to subscribe to Backstage wherever you get your podcasts

While Garner may not have related to her character in every way, she says she ended up learning from her – even adopting Hannah’s profession as a wood turner as her own hobby.

“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 said. “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 available to stream on Apple TV+. Hear our interview with Jennifer Garner on the latest episode of Backstage – the film and TV podcast from Sky News