Willie Garson and Nathen in 2019.Photo: Tommaso Boddi/Getty
In one of his last interviews,Willie Garsoncalled a sweet memory with his son Nathen “one of the best days of my life.”
Garson, whodiedTuesday at age 57 frompancreatic cancer, shared in an interview on theAt Home with the Creative Coalitionpodcast that taking his son Nathen to New York for a Broadway show was a day he would never forget.
TheSex and the Citystar first met Nathen as a 7-year-old while attending a Los Angeles adoption fair in October 2008. After more than ayear of screenings and paperwork, Nathen was officially Garson’s son in January 2010.
“The greatest thing was taking [my son] Nathen to New York. He had never been to New York, he’d never been anywhere, and we’re gonna go to Broadway,” Garson told host Robin Bronk. “We go to the TKTS booth, and you know, we’ll see whatever, who cares. And someone -— you know, they’re out-of-work actors who work the line, so like policing the line. And I shouldn’t say this out loud, but one of them recognized me and said, ‘You don’t have to wait in line, come with me.’ And they took us up to the front. And there were great tickets forAnnie.”
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“And here we are in a Broadway theater, and here comes bald Daddy Warbucks adopting the orphan. And the look on [Nathen’s] face — I’m sitting next to him and he’s grabbing my hand, and he’s not taking his eyes off the stage,” Garson continued.
“It was everything that theater is supposed to be in one moment. That was one of the best days of my life,” he said.
Willie Garson/Instagram
“It’s hard. I’m the one, it’s harder for me to let go,” he said. “He’s living his life, he’s at college and his friends and girlfriends and tennis team and sneaking liquor and whatever they do at college. But we’re there for each other, and I have to not want to make every minute of his life perfect.”
After news of Garson’s death was made public on Tuesday, Nathenshared a heartbreaking tributeto his dad on Instagram, calling him “the toughest and funniest and smartest person I’ve known.”
“I love you so much papa. Rest In Peace and I’m so glad you got to share all your adventures with me and were able to accomplish so much,” Nathen wrote alongside a carousel of photos of his father. “I’m so proud of you.”
“I will always love you, but I think it’s time for you to go on an adventure of your own,” Nathen continued. “You’ll always be with me. Love you more than you will ever know and I’m glad you can be at peace now. You always were the toughest and funniest and smartest person I’ve known. I’m glad you shared you’re [sic] love with me. I’ll never forget it or lose it ❤️😘.”
source: people.com
