THE BOY FROM OZ
How Hugh Jackman Became Hollywood's Hottest Aussie Import
by Bret Love
It may not be autumn yet, but 2009 has already been one heck of a year for Hugh Jackman. The 40-year-old Aussie actor began the year riding high as People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive,” had Hollywood singing his praises after showcasing his song ‘n’ dance skills as host of the Academy Awards in February, and raked in nearly $400 million at the global box office as the star (and producer) of X-Men Origins: Wolverine in May. The truth is, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
Born in Sydney of English parentage and raised the youngest of five children by his father after his mother left the family, Jackman stumbled into stardom back in 2000 as a last-minute replacement for Dougray Scott, whose Mission: Impossible II schedule prevented him from taking the part of Wolverine in X-Men. When I first met Jackman during his promotional rounds for that film, he seemed like a charming family man truly humbled by his luck in landing such an iconic role. Almost ten years later, it seems very little has changed.
“I’m very excited about it,” he says when asked about his success after years of struggling as an unknown stage actor. “Ten years ago if I had to dream of what I'd be doing, I’d never believe I would be franchising the character of Wolverine and that I'd have worked with Woody Allen (Scoop), the Aardman guys (Flushed Away), Darren Aronofsky (The Fountain) and Christopher Nolan (The Prestige). I’m staying so busy because everything I’m getting is turning me on so much, it’s almost impossible to say no.”
While some actors tend to shy away from larger-than-life comic book characters out of a fear of being typecast, Jackman dove headfirst into the role of the temper-addled mutant with the indestructible adamantium claws. Even after three highly successful X-Men films, with lucrative offers coming in droves, he remains fiercely loyal to the character that made him famous.
“I knew it was a great role once I read the X-Men script,” he recalls. “I knew nothing about the comic book, but it was like the Mad Max/Dirty Harry/Han Solo anti-hero thing I grew up with. I knew I was onto a great role, but nobody knew what would happen with the series. I remember several people saying, ‘Make sure you book another gig before this thing comes out… because the word on the street is it's probably not going to do great business.’ So I was shocked when it came out, and things definitely changed for me. But anybody who knows me wouldn't pick a character like this to be the thing I would be known for.”
Jackman readily acknowledges that X-Men Origins: Wolverine upped the ante for him considerably. Not only was it the first time he’s carried a summer blockbuster squarely on his shoulders, but it was also the first major movie from Seed Productions, the company he co-owns with partner John Palermo. With nine other projects currently in development, including the action thriller Drive and an adaptation of the Broadway hit Carousel, Jackman clearly had a lot riding on the success of his latest Wolverine outing.
“There's no less effort or desire that goes into every role,” he insists, “but obviously this movie has a different dimension for me as a producer. I asked all the actors (including Ryan Reynolds, Liev Schreiber and breakout star Taylor Kitsch) and Gavin Hood, the director, to come on board, so obviously I'm more attached to it and it feels more personal. I found myself asking everyone what they thought of the movie and I was nervous about it, because it's more like my baby.”
There’s something oddly endearing about the image of an actor who gets paid $20 million per movie wringing his hands and worrying how fans and critics alike will respond to his work. It’s all part of Jackman’s genuine Aussie charm, which seems to keep him grounded in an industry where most people have their heads in the clouds (or wedged tightly in their posteriors). For that, he credits his wife Deb, an actress he met back in 1995 on the Australian TV prison drama Correlli.
“Deb is honest to a fault,” he admits with a laugh, “and she doesn't know any other way. When you're married to someone who loves you for who you are, no matter what comes and goes, that goes a long way, particularly in this business. When I walked out on stage at the Oscars, the first person I looked for was Deb, and she gave me a little nod. There was this feeling, like I could completely die on my ass and know that that's okay. Everything could fall apart– beauty comes and goes, bodies change, fame comes and goes, we all die eventually– but when you have that solid foundation in a relationship with someone, it doesn't matter. On a deeper level, that’s something that lasts forever. And that's what I try to focus on.”
60 SECONDS WITH HUGH JACKMAN
ON THE SUCCESS OF X-MEN:
"All of us can identify with that feeling of being alienated, and of being different. There’s not a person on this planet that doesn't mask some kind of pain, which comes out in their behavior in some way."
ON BEING NAMED SEXIEST MAN ALIVE:
“I'm not going to spend too much time worrying about it either way, but it's better than a kick in the teeth. I'm sure in a year or two I'll be on some other list that has me at the other end of the spectrum. One of the greatest things I ever heard was when Halle Berry turned up to accept her Razzie Award for Catwoman. She said, ‘If you're going to put on a dress to accept an Oscar, you've got to be prepared to turn up and accept this one!’ That is probably the coolest, most wise thing I've ever heard in this business.”
ON WORKING IN AUSTRALIA:
“I do have a production company down there to help facilitate work being done. I feel very indebted to the beginning I had in Australia, so I support institutions such as WAPA and the Actors Center in Sydney, which really gave me the grounding I'm forever grateful for.”
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