Everything about Hugh Jackman totally explained
Hugh Michael Jackman (born
12 October,
1968) is an
Australian film, television and stage actor, known mostly for his roles in several major
Hollywood films, including
Van Helsing and
X-Men.
Early life
Jackman was born in
Pymble,
Sydney,
New South Wales, Australia, the youngest of five children of
English-born parents Chris Jackman and Grace Watson. His mother left the family when he was eight years old, and he remained behind with his father (an
accountant with a degree from
Cambridge) and siblings.
Jackman attended
Pymble Public School and
Knox Grammar School, an all-boys school, where he starred in the musical
My Fair Lady in 1985, directed by the headmaster, Dr. Ian Paterson. Jackman was School Captain in 1986 and his favourite subject was Ancient History. The following year he spent a
gap year working at
Uppingham School in England. Upon his return to Australia he worked at a
Shell station in Wahroonga and worked as a part-time clown for children's parties while studying at the
University of Technology, Sydney. In 1989 Jackman participated in a
Christian workcamp on Hasst's Bluff and Areyonga Aboriginal land in the Western Desert in
Central Australia. He then graduated with a
BA in
Communications, having majored in
journalism. He later used his inheritance from his grandmother to attend the
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts of
Edith Cowan University in
Perth,
Western Australia, from which he graduated in 1994.
Career
In Australia
Jackman's early film work includes
Erskineville Kings and
Paperback Hero (1999), while his television work includes
Correlli (where he met his wife Debra Lee Furness),
Law of the Land,
Halifax f.p.,
Blue Heelers, and
Banjo Paterson's The Man from Snowy River (American title:
Snowy River: The McGregor Saga).
He sang the
Australian National Anthem in front of 100,000 people at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground before the 1998
Bledisloe Cup. He also sang the National Anthem at the 1999
NRL Grand Final in front of 108,000 people at
Stadium Australia.
On stage, Jackman played
Gaston in the
Melbourne production of
Beauty and the Beast, and Joe Gillis in the same city's production of
Sunset Boulevard. During his stage musical career in Melbourne, he starred in the 1998
Midsumma festival cabaret production
Summa Cabaret. He also hosted both Melbourne's
Carols by Candlelight and Sydney's
Carols in the Domain.
In 2006, he was cast to replace
Russell Crowe in
Baz Luhrmann's
Australia, starring opposite
Nicole Kidman. The production was filmed in the north-east coastal town of
Bowen, Queensland.
In the United Kingdom
He first became known outside of Australia when he played the leading role of Curly in the
Royal National Theatre's acclaimed stage production of
Oklahoma! in the
West End during 1998. Jackman also appeared in a
1999 film version of the stage musical.
In the United States
In 2000, he was cast as
Wolverine in
Bryan Singer's
X-Men, replacing
Dougray Scott. According to a
CBS interview in November 2006, Jackman's wife
Deborra-Lee Furness told him not to take the role, a comment she later told him she was glad he ignored.
Jackman, at 6' 2 1/2", stands nearly a foot taller than Wolverine, who is said in the original comic book to be 5' 3". Hence, the filmmakers were frequently forced to shoot Jackman at unusual angles or only from the waist up to make him appear shorter than he actually was. In an interview with
Men's Health magazine, he stated that he was also required to add a great deal of muscle for the role. An instant star upon the film's release, Jackman later reprised his role in 2003's, and 2006's . The trilogy ultimately garnered over
US$1 billion worldwide.
Jackman starred as Leopold in the 2001 romantic comedy film
Kate & Leopold, for which he was nominated for a
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. Jackman also starred in 2001 action/drama
Swordfish, along with
John Travolta, and
Halle Berry. This would be the second time Jackman would work alongside with Berry, The two would work together again two more times in the
X-Men movies, making a total of four movies starring Jackman and Berry from 2000 to 2006.
Jackman sang the role of Billy Bigelow in
Carousel in a special concert performance at
Carnegie Hall in
Manhattan,
New York City in 2002. In 2004 he played the title role of vampire hunter
Gabriel Van Helsing in
Van Helsing. In 2004, Jackman won a
Tony Award for his
Broadway portrayal of Australian songwriter and performer
Peter Allen in
The Boy from Oz. He hosted the Tony Awards in 2003, 2004 and 2005, garnering very positive reviews. The televising of the 2004 awards earned him an
Emmy Award win for Outstanding Individual Performer in a Variety, Musical or Comedy program in 2005.
In 2005 after his award-winning role in
The Boy from Oz, Jackman began filming his most challenging role to date. Jackman played the part of three different characters in
Darren Aronofsky's
sci-fi experience
The Fountain. As
Tommy Creo a
neuroscientist, Jackman played a man who was torn between his wife, Izzi (
Rachel Weisz) who is dying of a
brain tumor and his work at trying to cure her. As
Captain Tomas Creo, a Spanish
Conquistador in the year 1532,
Savile, Spain who is seeking the mythical
Tree of Life for his Queen, Isabel (also played by Weisz) in order to retain her throne. Tomas is a character in the book Izzi is writing called
The Fountain, and finally, as the future space traveller Tom enclosed in a transparent
treeship seeking to be reunited with Izzi within a dying star called
Xibalba. Jackman has stated
The Fountain was his most difficult role to date due to the physical and emotional demands his
director asked of him in the part. In the end,
The Fountain wasn't well received and Jackman went un-rewarded.
Not one to stop working, Jackman filmed
The Prestige directed by
Christopher Nolan and also starring
Christian Bale,
Michael Caine,
Scarlett Johansson,
Andy Serkis, and musician
David Bowie. As
Robert Angier, Jackman portrayed a magician who built up a rivalry with contemporary
Alfred Borden in attempt to 'one up' each other in the art of deception. Jackman stated his main reason for doing
The Prestige was to work with David Bowie, who played scientist
Nikola Tesla. He also starred in another 2006 film with
Scarlett Johansson,
Woody Allen's
Scoop.
Jackman rounded out 2006 with two
animated films:
Happy Feet in which he voiced the part of Memphis, an
Emperor Penguin and directed by
George Miller, and
Flushed Away where Jackman also supplied the voice of a rat named Roddy who ends up being flushed down his
Kensington family's toilet into the
London sewer system.
Flushed Away also starred
Kate Winslet,
Ian McKellen (the fourth time Jackman has worked with him),
Jean Reno,
Andy Serkis and
Bill Nighy.
In 2007 Jackman produced and guest starred in the unsuccessful television drama
Viva Laughlin.
Viva Laughlin was cancelled by
CBS after only two episodes. A decision about the remaining episodes already filmed at the time of cancellation has yet to be made. Both Jackman and his wife Furness were both shocked and saddened by this cancellation.
Jackman is also preparing a number of movies which he'll both produce and star in, including
Wolverine, estimated to begin filming in early 2008, and a remake of
Carousel in which he'll play Billy Bigelow.
Jackman was also one of the choices to play James bond but eventually lost out to
Daniel Craig
Personal life
Jackman married actress
Deborra-Lee Furness in April 1996. They met on the set of his first TV acting job in
Correlli, an Australian
television series. Furness had two
miscarriages, after which she and Jackman
adopted two children, Oscar Maximillian (b.
May 15,
2000) and Ava Eliot (b.
July 10,
2005). They currently live in Melbourne. Jackman personally designed an engagement ring for Furness, and their wedding rings bore the
Sanskrit inscription "Om paramar mainamar", translated by Furness as "we dedicate our union to a greater source".
In 2005, Jackman joined with longtime assistant John Palermo to form a production company,
Seed Productions, whose first project was
Viva Laughlin in 2007. Furness is also involved in the company, and Palermo had three rings made with an inscription meaning "unity" for himself, Furness, and Jackman. About the trio's collaboration Jackman reports "I'm very lucky in the partners I work with in my life, Deb and John Palermo. It really works. We all have different strengths. I love it. It's very exciting".
Jackman is a longtime supporter of
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, a
Rugby League club based in Sydney, which competes in the
NRL,
Australasia's top league of professional rugby league football.
Filmography
Awards and nominations
Awards
Nominations
Nominated for the 1998 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for Oklahoma!
Nominated for the Mo award for Best Actor in a Musical for Beauty and the Beast
Nominated for the 1999 Australian Film Industry Best Actor award for Erskineville Kings
Nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Kate & Leopold
Nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for hosting the 2005 Tony Award showFurther Information
Get more info on 'Hugh Jackman'.
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