Jude Law’s ‘pit of grief’ after playing a father who loses son on Foxtel drama, The Third Day

As a real-life father of five, actor Jude Law has broken down after playing a grieving man who has lost his son in his new TV series.

It’s not the first time we’ve seen Jude Law tread into dark, foreboding places in his career.

But for the acclaimed actor, shooting psychological thriller, The Third Day, was an ominous experience, both on and off-screen.

“I certainly underestimated the journey that I was about to embark on, if I am honest,” he tells The BINGE Guide.

“Once I started shooting, I realised there was no getting off this physical and emotional roller coaster that just did not seem to stop for the five-month shoot,” Law says, with a chuckle.

Set on the mysterious British island of Osea, at first glance this charming and scenic idyll gives the impression of the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of London.

But Law’s character, Sam, mourning the tragic loss of his son, quickly realises that all is not as it seems.

Grief-stricken … Jude Law stars in new Foxtel drama series, The Third Day. Picture: Supplied/Foxtel

“At times I don’t think Sam really knows what’s happening, so deconstructing his emotional life from the point of losing his son to the moment you meet him, was really a road map I had to understand. And emotionally it wasn’t a nice place to be really,” he says.

The 47-year-old Alfie and Sherlock Holmes star tapped into his own experience of fatherhood, and the emotional ties he has with his three children – Rafferty, 24, Iris, 20, and Rudy, 18 – from his six-year marriage to actor Sadie Frost; daughter, Sophia, 11, with American model Samantha Burke; and his fifth child, Ada, 5, with singer-songwriter Catherine Harding.

He is currently expecting his sixth offspring with new wife of one year, English psychologist Dr Phillipa Coan.

The loss of a child is every parent’s worst nightmare, so it’s understandable Law found portraying a grieving father so gruelling.

“Being in Sam’s skin for so long was not a particularly happy experience because he was in such pain. He was in a pit of grief. Emotionally, every day felt like I had a cloak on and it was hard to get off. And so after I finished, I went away on holiday with my wife and two of my kids. I thought I’d purged myself of Sam. I cut my hair, swam in the sea, but when I heard the song, ‘Dog Days are Over’ (which features in a pivotal scene), I burst into tears,” he laughs, shaking his head. “It was very powerful stuff.”

Romantic lead … Law at the 2006 premiere of Christmas rom com, The Holiday. Picture: Supplied.

Created by Flix Barrett and Dennis Kelly, the six-part limited series is divided into two ’seasons’: ‘Summer,’ in which Law’s character, Sam, is the focus; and ‘Winter,’ which stars Naomi Harris as Helen, a strong-willed, pragmatic mother of two daughters, who travels to the island to celebrate her eldest girl’s birthday.

Upon their arrival, they are confronted by a racist and hostile community; a circumstance Harris is regrettably all too familiar with.

“There has been one occasion that comes to mind in my life where I felt discriminated against overtly on the basis of my colour,” offers Harris.

“But for me, I think the systemic racism that exists in many, many countries, if not all countries in the world, is more of a problem to me than that face-to-face ignorance that exists,” she explains.

“But it was such a privilege to play Helen. I loved that she has this incredible, fierce tigress love for her children.”

Osea Island, a 90-minute drive from London, is the perfect backdrop for the series.

As mysterious as its inhabitants are, whose strange rituals are both fascinating and disturbing to Sam and Helen, this stretch of land (1.5 kilometres) can only be accessed through an ancient causeway built by the Romans.

Double act … Law with Robert Downey Jnr in 2009 film 'Sherlock Holmes.’ Picture: Supplied

The cast lived on the island during the shoot and had to deal with the restrictions of the causeway.

“When the tide rolls in and the causeway disappears, you really get the feeling that you can’t escape. You do feel that vulnerability, and there are only two windows a day to leave,” Law explains, “so living on the island was both immersive and slightly claustrophobic.”

Harris adds: “the island itself is incredibly bleak. And very claustrophobic because it’s very small. So the cast really bonded. There was something lovely about being together on this island where nobody could get off and were dictated to by the tides coming in.”

Harris, 43, is an Academy Award-nominated actor for her role in the 2016 hit, Moonlight, and will next reprise her role as Eve Moneypenny in the upcoming James Bond film, No Time to Die (poised for release, April 2, 2021).

For all her experience, she says that playing Helen was a difficult role to shake off.

“I had to work very hard to leave the emotions at the door after a day’s shooting, and it can send you crazy,” she admits, “but I find that if I meditate twice a day, which I do religiously, it helps to let go.”

Changed man … Law said his role in The Third Day “changed me.” Picture: Supplied: AP

Law concedes: “I was keen to get away from that pain, but actually, it still lives around me a little bit. I think [this role] changed me somewhat. It put me in touch with stuff that’s important to be in touch with, and that is loving those around you, the people you have in your life, especially your family, and making sure they know you love them,” he says. “It’s important to enjoy every day as it comes.”

With a career spanning 26 years, Law is enjoying a particularly prolific time on screen, big and small.

He continues to star in the TV series, The New Pope (which will begin shooting again once COVID-19 regulations lift); and has two new films to come: The Nest and Sherlock Holmes 3.

Looking back on how he’s managed to navigate life, much of it as a public figure, he has learned hard lessons from his past.

“For me, it’s healthier and better that I do not dwell too much on other peoples’ perception of me. We all have our own relationship with ourselves, and I try not to consider too much or spend too long thinking about the Jude that I become, if you like, in front of fans at a film festival,” he explains.

“I feel saner trying to pretend that that doesn’t exist, because 99 per cent of the time, I’m just Jude, at home.”

* The Third Day, 8.30pm Monday, Fox Showcase and streaming Foxtel on Demand.