The 69-year-old actor, who has battled tongue cancer and split briefly from second wife Catherine Zeta-Jones last year, said he identified a lot with his new film 'And So It Goes', reported the New York Post.
In the film, he plays a man whose granddaughter moves in with him after her drug-addicted father is sent to prison because of his own experiences with son Cameron, who has been incarcerated for drug offences since 2009.
Asked if his own experiences drew him to the movie, he said, "You read a script and you smile in those pieces... That come close to your story. I guess at this point in my life, at my age, you've gone through so many things that nothing really surprises you."
Director Rob Reiner said, "He said just leave it the way it is. It obviously must have been tough for him.