Willie Garson Recalled the 'Greatest' Memory with Son Nathen in One of His Final Interviews

People
·3 min read
willie nathen garson
willie nathen garson

Tommaso Boddi/Getty Willie Garson and Nathen in 2019

In one of his last interviews, Willie Garson called a sweet memory with his son Nathen "one of the best days of my life."

Garson, who died Tuesday at age 57 from pancreatic cancer, shared in an interview on the At Home with the Creative Coalition podcast that taking his son Nathen to New York for a Broadway show was a day he would never forget.

The Sex and the City star first met Nathen as a 7-year-old while attending a Los Angeles adoption fair in October 2008. After more than a year 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 for Annie."

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willie nathen garson
willie nathen garson

Charley Gallay/Getty

RELATED: Willie Garson Opened Up About His 'Close' Relationship with Son Nathen 10 Months Before His Death

"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.

Last November, Garson appeared on an episode of PEOPLE (the TV Show!) and reflected on the adoption process and his relationship with Nathen, sharing that the two were "pretty close."

willie garson, nathen garson
willie garson, nathen garson

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, Nathen shared a heartbreaking tribute to 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 ❤️😘."

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