“Just fantastic”: the English actors Hugh Jackman compared to Al Pacino and Robert De Niro
Anyone who has reached the top of the industry, like Hugh Jackman has, inevitably gets the opportunity to collaborate with the very best. Ranging from Christopher Nolan to Denis Villeneuve, the Australian actor has been pursued by some of the most talented filmmakers in the current cinematic landscape as he has rapidly honed his craft.
Through these collaborations with cinematic visionaries, Jackman has repeatedly demonstrated the versatility he possesses when it comes to the kind of roles he has taken on. However, within the domain of popular culture, his identity remains largely tied to one particular character that will always be associated with his interpretation of it: Wolverine.
Following Jackman’s recent reprisal of the iconic superhero alongside Ryan Reynolds in the new Deadpool movie, many fans have turned back to Jackman’s previous outings as Wolverine to see how his version evolved through the years. One interesting thing to note is the actor’s initial motivation to join the X-Men franchise, which can partially be chalked up to the chance of working with two legends.
During a conversation with the BBC, Jackman explained that he was really looking forward to collaborating with Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, having been already wowed by their theatrical outings he had the pleasure to witness. It proved to be a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Jackman, who was still establishing his artistic identity.
“It was fantastic,” the actor began. “When I started to study acting, there were a few things that I remember. One was a play I saw called The Master Builder [by Ibsen], which I saw twice, and I was mesmerised by it. Another was a series of tapes by John Barton about playing Shakespeare that every actor should see. And Patrick Stewart’s version of The Merchant of Venice being on that and him playing it was mesmerising. I also saw Ian in [Macbeth] with Judi Dench, which was amazing.”
Jackman added: “When I started, it was more a dream, to be honest, of being in the West End rather than Hollywood. So, to be working with Ian and Patrick for my first Hollywood picture was just fantastic. To me, these are Pacino and De Niro. They are the English version. On a worldwide scale, they have more of a range of talent. I was in awe. Ian pulled me aside on my first day and we had a little bit of a chat, which made me feel more relaxed. I was more nervous working with these guys than of the Hollywood machine.”
Of course, the comparison to Al Pacino and Robert De Niro doesn’t have anything to do with their respective acting styles. Instead, Jackman was referring to the immense status they maintained in the acting world and how he managed to hold his own within a cast of supremely skilled actors like Stewart and McKellen.
