Tragedy either strengthens one's faith or diminishes it. In the case of "Cold Feet" star James Nesbitt, it is unfortunately the latter.
Nesbitt, 52, lost his mother five years ago due to Alzheimer's disease. She was 79. Even though Nesbitt's mother brought him up to be "God-loving and grounded," the actor abandoned his faith when she passed away.
Nesbitt told The Telegraph that his mother even envisioned him to become a missionary. "I suppose I became a missionary of a different sort; [Mum] was pretty happy [with my acting career] in the end," he said.
But after the "terrible old journey" that was her degenerative disease, Nesbitt had a difficult time coming to terms with his faith.
"I'm not a believer in God now; it's increasingly hard with, on a grand scale, what goes on in the world and, on a personal scale, with what happens to one's loved ones," he explained.
Before her death, the actor recalled how painful their ordeal was because she no longer recognised him. Because of this, he is now campaigning for Alzheimer's Research U.K. and helping raise awareness of the disease.
Meanwhile, Nesbitt is currently starring in "Stan Lee's Lucky Man," a British TV drama series about Murder Squad detective Harry Clayton (Nesbitt), who is granted the power to control luck.
Nesbitt said he cannot help but draw parallels between the show and his personal life. The actor divorced from his ex-wife Sonia Forbes-Adam back in 2013, mainly due to his busy schedule while filming "The Hobbit" in New Zealand. Like Clayton, Nesbitt said he really wants reconciliation with his ex.
"It's a very difficult situation to be a flawed superhero with a power that can be destructive and get in the way of a marriage — yet there is still great love there. Can I identify with that? Yes, of course," he said.
At the same time, Nesbitt told The Advertiser that he was initially reluctant to take on the role of Clayton. But once he started, he's fallen in love with the character. "It just didn't play a part in my life, but now I've embraced it so much, I love it. I think the escapism of the genre is important to people in an ever-changing, complicated world," he said.
