Sam Claflin is revealing how he found a way to stay “sane” during the intense production of Prime Video’s new thriller series, Lazarus.
Claflin, 39, told Us Weekly exclusively that every weekend for five months he would drive more than three hours home to London to take son Pip, 9, “to football practice” and give daughter Margot, 7, “a big cuddle” before heading back to Manchester, where filming took place.
“God bless their mum [ex-wife Laura Haddock], who was holding down the fort whilst I was away,” he added. “It was my way of forgetting everything. When I’m with them, it’s all about them.”
Sam Claflin as Joel. Ben Blackall / Prime
He added, “I do what I do, in a sense, for them. I love my job, but I love my kids more, and I miss them. I think being a parent just allows you the opportunity to kind of open yourself up in a way that you never thought you would.”
That is exactly what happened to Claflin when he took on this role.
Lazarus — which debuted via Prime Video on Tuesday, October 22 — follows Claflin’s character, forensic physiologist Joel, who returns home following the death of his psychiatrist father, played by legendary actor Bill Nighy. When cleaning out his dad’s office, Joel starts seeing the ghosts of his father’s late patients. He finds himself uncovering the mysterious circumstances of their murders while attempting to solve their cold cases. Along the way, Joel makes some major discoveries about his own family — and learns that there’s more than one murderer.
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“Playing Joel definitely allowed me to explore parts of my childhood and my life in a way that I never had,” Claflin confessed to Us. “When you’re honest with yourself and you start really digging deep and figuring out why you keep doing certain things, I think it’s quite an eye opening experience.”
Claflin told Us that because his character was going through it for the duration of the show, he was too. The most difficult part? Maybe yelling at Nighy, 75, for days on end.
“It was just a really emotionally turbulent two weeks,” Claflin said about the time he and Nighy were on set together. “At the end of each day, I’d have no voice left.”
He added, “It was a very strenuous time. The whole process of filming was like a roller coaster ride of emotions, and ups and downs, and twists and turns.”
Sam Claflin and Bill Nighy. Ben Blackall / Prime
Overall, it was a “learning experience” for Claflin, who got to share the screen with “the kindest, most generous actor you could ask for.”
Claflin admitted that he did experience a “mini breakdown” after filming the show because he was “so exhausted, mentally, emotionally [and] physically.”
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The role “really just allowed me to open up Pandora’s box within myself,” he explained, which he said allowed for a shift in his life.
“That has aided me with my children, and has allowed them to communicate in a more free way,” he said. “It was a good job. I enjoyed this one. It’s changed me for the better.”
All six episodes of Lazarus are now streaming via Prime Video.
