Asa Butterfield’s Parents Split Up When He Was Young Though Remained Close Friends

Asa Butterfield's parents tentatively stood by their son's side as he journeyed into the world of performance art. Like the actor, one of them also pursues an artistic career, while the other works in the medical field.

Asa Butterfield entered the film and TV industry as a child, accompanied by a supportive family. Many may recognize the young actor from one of his earliest roles as Bruno in the late 2000s film, "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas."

Others may know him from his most recent as Otis Milburn in the critically acclaimed Netflix comedy series "Sex Education." The 26-year-old is one of two siblings born to protective and loving parents, Jacqueline "Jake" Farr and Sam Butterfield.

Asa Butterfield's Parents: The Actor's Blended Family

In a 2019 interview, Asa shared that his parents divorced when he was young. He and his older brother, Morgan Butterfield, alternated between their parents' homes as the former couple lived only a few miles apart.

"With my older brother, I spent equal time with both," Asa said of his parents. Sam and Jacqueline remained good friends as they co-parented their sons. They also found new loves and expanded their families. "We've got half-sisters on either side who are friends as well. So we're all – yeah – pretty lucky." Asa shared.

Asa Butterfield's Parents' Professions

Asa's mother, Jacqueline, is a psychologist, and his father, Sam, is an advertising copywriter with over a decade of experience. On his website, he described himself as a creative thinker and a "strong art director with a keen eye for design and photography."

Sam also developed an app with Asa and Morgan, although little about the joint enterprise is known. He has rarely appeared in public with Asa, but in 2016, Asa shared a photo of himself and Sam posing in dapper outfits.

"One day I'll be able to grow a beard like my dad," he sweetly captioned. Later that year, he shared a childhood picture of himself and his mom at the beach and wrote, "Shoutout to all the mums about, you're not as good as mine."

Some Insight on Asa Butterfield's Parents and Their Deep Compassion for Their Son

When Asa was cast as Bruno in "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas," opposite David Thewlis and Rupert Friend, his mother had sleepless nights before signing the contract for the film. "I was incredibly nervous for him and what this was potentially unleashing in his life," Jacqueline explained.

Whenever Asa felt overwhelmed during filming, she and Sam would take breaks between takes and play games with him. Given the heavy themes and historical context explored in "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas," they never pressured Asa to continue when it became too hard.

"They always said, if you don't wanna do it, you don't have to do it," Asa shared. It took his mom three weeks to summon the courage to watch him while he shot on set, but she "absolutely loved" seeing him when she finally did.

Jacqueline remembered Asa telling her that he no longer wanted to act after "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas," which the actor found "interesting" upon reflection. In addition to "Sex Education," with Gillian Anderson, he has several upcoming projects, including the animated film "Watch the Skies," with Sean Bean and Sam Claflin.