FILMOGRAPHY
2007] If You Could See Me Now
2007] Wolverine
2006] Good
2006] Flushed Away
2006] X-Men 3
2006] Untitled Woody Allen Project
2006] Happy Feet
2006] The Fountain
2005] Stories of Lost Souls
2004] Van Helsing
2003] X2
2002] Standing Room Only
2001] Kate & Leopold
2001] Swordfish
2001] Someone Like You
2000] X-Men
1999]
Oklahoma! (TV)
1999] Erskineville Kings
1999] Paperback Hero
1998] Halifax f.p: Afraid of the Dark (TV)
1998] Hey, Mr Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh (TV)
1995] "Snowy River: The McGregor Saga"
1995] "Correlli"
LINKS
IMDB
jackmanslanding.com
Hugh Jackman Entertainment
Born 12 October 1968 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Hugh is the youngest of five children.
Married to Deborra-Lee Furness since February 1996. In May 2000 they adopted their son Oscar Maximillian Jackman. Hugh met Deborah while co-starring in the Australian TV series "Correlli."
Hugh's mother left the family when he was eight, returning to England. After that, his accountant father hired a string of nannies. "We burned through them. I remember putting pig's eyes in our lunchboxes, so one veggie nanny would open them and scream."
Jackman majored in journalism at the University of Technology at Sydney & received a communications degree.
In 1991, Jackman completed one-year intensive acting course, thru evenbing classes paid for with an inheritance from his grandmother, at The Journey at Actor's Center in Sydney, Australia. The following year he was offered a part in the popular Australian soap "Neighbours"; turned it down and instead, at 22, enrolled in Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts [WAAPA].
Hugh got his break into hollywood when Dougray Scott originally cast as Wolverine had to pull out due to his involvement in M:I-2 which required two extra months of shooting.
Hugh spent a year on Broadway starring in the Australian musical "The Boy From Oz" its the first Australian musical ever to hit New York.
He played Curly in London's West End revival of 'Oklahoma!' in 1998 to rave reviews.
Hugh was originally cast to play Matt Lee Whitlock, in Out Of Time releasing this year, but scheduling conflicts with Xmen2 saw the role go to Denzel Washington.
"In Fashion," on Australia's Foxtel network.
Hugh's performance in Erskineville Kings earned him an Australian Film Institute nomination for Best Actor in 1999. Fellow nominees included Heath Ledger (Two Hands), Richard Roxburgh (Passion) & Russell Dykstra who took out the award for his work in the film 'Soft Fruit'.
Hugh on stumbling into acting:
"I did a [major] called communications, a mixture of film writing, public relations, and journalism. I had fun, but nothing really captured me until near the end, when I had to find two units to graduate. I picked drama because there were no papers, no exams - you just turned up. I sat at the back like this [he mimes infinite boredom]. But they decided to do this play, and I got cast in the lead, totally by ballot. I said, “I can’t be in this, I don’t have time, I’m doing journalism.” And they said, “Well, unfortunately, you can’t get out of it.” We ended up taking it on tour, and the more I learned about acting, the more I was like, I should’ve studied half journalism and half acting. Because acting was kind of what I loved to do, but it was a hobby. And journalism, I thought, would be my paying job."
Hugh on being an action hero & doing musicals:
"Well, it’s certainly no surprise to me or anyone in Australia, but I think a lot of people here [in America] would be surprised that I’m doing a musical. In a way, I couldn’t have written the script better, because the bigger surprise to me is that I’m being paid to be an action hero. Because I’m a big goofball, you know. Don’t tell anyone that, but I’m a big goofball. In Australia we call it a dag. It’s quite an affectionate term, but it means you’re basically a big goofball. I just love making a fool out of myself. I made my living as a clown at kids’ parties for about three years. And all that Wolverine stuff - I watch that and go, “Ah, he’s kind of cool, that guy!” So for me, to have done that first means that people will think I’ve done this herculean effort to become a singer-dancer playing Peter Allen, when in actual fact that’s probably far closer to who I am."
Hugh on Deborah's success with her short film Standing Room Only:
"Deb is one of the most generous people I have ever met. She delights in my every success. She has made a lot of sacrifices, for which I am eternally grateful. Our relationship is completely devoid of competetiveness or game playing. So now I can be delighted for her."
Hugh on falling for Deborah:
"The sexual tension between her character and mine kind of bubbled over into real life. I had a crush on Deb almost from the moment we met. I was embarrassed because I didn't think my feelings would be reciprocated. Here I was, a 26-year-old actor. Her New Year's resolution that year was 'no actors and no one under 30.' I was Deb's worst nightmare. So we gave each other that space, the safety zone, even though we were attracted to each other. I never thought that Deb would find me attractive in that way, so we just got on like a house on fire and I suppose everyone else seemed to see it but us. We became best mates, but I decided that I'd wait until we'd known each other for six months before I told her how I really felt. I thought, that way I'll be sure it's the real thing."
Hugh talks about Deborah:
"I honestly think that Deb brings out the best in me and I hope I do the same for her. We love spending time together. We are very good mates, we laugh a lot. Deb is my rock. She has given up so much to come on the road and make sure our family is together. She is very grounded about the family, sometimes brutal about making sure we have time for each other and that I'm not working too hard. I'm a bloody lucky man."
Hugh on Kate & Leopold co-star Meg Ryan:
"She's a great girl. And an extraordinary comedienne. It annoys me when she gets belittled. People say, 'you only do romantic comedies.' But they're so bloody hard to do! And she's such a great craftsman. I've watched Sleepless In Seattle and it's so good what she does." "Meg got on with Debs famously. During the movie, it was our fifth wedding anniversary, but I was doing night filming and I couldn't take her out. So Meg took her out! They've become really close buddies."
Hugh on The Boy From Oz:
"They had talked to me about the role in Australia, but I had just made the decision to get away from musical theater and go into film. And when I went to see the show - I saw it twice - it moved me beyond belief. Deb, my wife, turned to me and said, “You’re wishing you were up there.” And I said, “Yeah, I am.” So the moment I got the call I jumped at it."
Hugh's uni friend Michael, who now travels with Hugh as his personal trainer, on first meeting Hugh:
"The girls in my classes kept talking abou this guy at the front counter. Finally, I decided I'd better go take a look for myself and there was Hugh surrounded by a crowd of women trying to engage him in casual conversation. It was pretty clear he had something going for him even then."
Hugh on the night of his final gradauation performance in 1995, Hugh got a phone call that changed his life:
"We'd done a curtain call and I walked off stage. Almost at the same time, I got a phone call telling me I'd got a part in Correlli, a new ABC TV series. I was unemployed for a total of about 13 seconds."