Hugh Jackman’s ultimate acting idol: “No one had more movie star wattage”
When Hugh Jackman took on the role of Jean Valjean in 2012’s star-studded adaptation of Les Misérables, many of his fans were a bit taken aback. He had, after all, risen to fame in the X-Men movies and seemed to play exclusively action-oriented and dramatic roles (with a few exceptions for comedies). What was Wolverine doing in a musical?
What those fans clearly weren’t aware of was the early part of Jackman’s career in which he was a highly-regarded theatre actor. In fact, the movie he made directly before the 2000 X-Men reboot was an adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma!, in which he reprised his Olivier Award-nominated performance of Curly. Jackman contains multitudes, and his Oscar-nominated turn as Valjean was just the tip of the iceberg.
These days, he is more unpredictable than ever. You might find him starring in the latest Deadpool sequel, playing half of a Neil Diamond tribute band, or sprinting through Sherwood Forest as Robin Hood. All possibilities are on the table. This doesn’t make him unique in Hollywood, necessarily. Stars like Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh are demonstrating that you can take creative risks in some movies while still bringing home the bacon with soulless comic book adaptations, but such a deftly-handled equilibrium is still pretty unusual.
Jackman’s most daring creative gambles have been in musicals, but he takes his cues from a star who was famous for his dramatic performances. In a 2020 interview with Forbes, the Logan actor said that there is no one he looks up to more than Paul Newman. “No one had more movie star mega-wattage,” he said. “But if you look at the parts he played, they were just great character pieces.”
It’s true. Despite being (objectively) the most handsome man to ever appear on a callsheet, Newman chafed at the idea of being a matinee idol. From early in his career, he sought meatier, complex, and occasionally unlikable roles that would downplay his blindingly good looks. Movies like The Long, Hot Summer and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof cast him as a sex symbol, and it took ones like The Hustler, Hud, and Slap Shot to muddy the waters.
In many ways, Newman was saddled with a similar kind of burden that many female stars have been. Like Natalie Portman, Angelina Jolie, and Margot Robbie, he had to work twice as hard to prove that he could be a character actor. No one needs to start playing a teeny tiny violin on his behalf, but when you’re trying to display your dramatic chops and strangers are stopping you in the street to rip your sunglasses off to see your famous blue eyes (this did happen, apparently), it probably feels a bit demoralising and dehumanising.
Ultimately, Newman persevered. By taking big swings with movies like The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean and Quintet, not to mention the handful of critically lauded (and Oscar-winning) turns he made behind the camera, he ensured that his career would be remembered for its variety and unpredictability rather than his face. Lately, Jackman has been doing pretty well in this department, too.
