Ben Barnes reveals he ditched ‘Westworld’ to care for mother battling cancer

In a recent interview with Foxes magazine, Ben Barnes detailed the kinds of roles he has done in his more than two-decade-long career.

During the conversation, the actor talked about his role a Logan Delos in the critically-acclaimed series, Westworld. He shared that the role particularly was more than just a milestone in his career since it came at a particularly distressing time in his life.

“My time on Westworld, I don’t have time now to tell you all of the extraordinary ways that particular job interwove with my life,” Barnes told the magazine. 

“I wasn't offered it at first. I’d [taken] some time off for family stuff that was happening, it's the only time I’ve ever intentionally not worked in my life. Then that job came along, I discussed with my family as to whether I could take it or not, then it started the next day, and I broke my foot on the morning of flying back to States to do it... I mean, it wove in and out.”

During the second season, Barnes mother was battling cancer and the actor was grateful for the showrunners to be considerate of his situation.

“When the second season started, my mum was not very well, with cancer, and so I went to showrunners, Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, who are forever soldered into my life as the best people in the industry,” expressed Barnes.

“I said, ‘I don't know what to do, my mum's got to go [and] have this surgery, and I can live with not being in the second season of the show, I can't live with not being there for my mum.' They literally [said], 'bye-bye, get on the plane, we'll figure it out.’ That was the entire conversation, thy just said we'll figure it out, and gave me a hug.”

“Three or four months later, when she was back on her feet again, I came back - and I've not told anyone this actually - but they reshot my pieces of some of those scenes, which most of this business is too ruthless to ever allow. But they're particularly special people.”

In November 2022, the acclaimed sci-fi drama was considered finished after its fourth season, despite creators hoping for a fifth season to wrap things up, via The Hollywood Reporter.