7/29/2019 Will Hugh Jackman get an Oscar for Best Actor?

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You probably know Hugh Jackman for his leading

role as Wolverine in the X-Men film series.

You may also recognize him for his role in Real

Steel. Or perhaps, youll recall how he was dubbed the

sexiest man alive by People Magazine in 2008. And

now, in Les Misrables, the word around town is that

his performance in the role of Jean Valjean has made

him the shoe-in for an Oscar!

Jackman underwent an incredible transformation for

his role. The change was so dramatic that his wife, De-

borra-Lee Furness, gasped when she first saw the him

in character.

Equally striking is the contrast between his on-screen

rivalry with Russell Crowe and their off-screen reality.

In real life, theyre really good friends. Russell and I

have been friends for a long time. I owe a lot to Russell

in many ways, Jackman explained, pointing to Russell

Crowes decision to turn down the role of Wolverine.

In fact, he even recommend Jackman to the director.

Jackman shared, I have asked his advice on several oc-

casions and hes always been generous to me and a

good friend. This is the first time I got to work with him

though.

In fact, Jackman has plenty to say on Russells leg-

endary cast parties. If you ever get invited, take a

song with you because you are singing. Everybody

sings. He brings out his guitar and he loves it. The hard-

est thing is leaving because when you are a

parties, its always great fun, Jackman sai

While hes generous with his compliment

isnt afraid to admit his faults and past mi

Russell just reminded me, Im very bad at sa

my wife. I am a double booker. I am indeci

terrible handyman. And I can be incredibly

joked, adding, Im an actor, dont trust an a

haps this is a reference to a sticky-fingers inc

his childhood. I would have gone to jail fo

years! It was a pack of Chickadees. I was v

and I certainly wasnt starving like in this m

was very hungry and I said, Oh, I want som

eat! And my brother said, Well lets go to

and I said, I dont have any money. And he

dont need money. He was a bad influence

astray, he admitted. Like most child thiev

caught. Busted and belted. Thats how i

then, but I wasnt punished for nineteen

laughs, making a reference to the Les Mis s

Jackman doesnt hesitate to admit that a

role of Jean Valjean is the opportunity of

You know, Valjean, I think for any actor,

there with a Hamlet. Its one of those so

Starring in Les Misrables, opposite a stellar cast inclAnne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Russell Crowe,

Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter, Hugh Jackm

a frontrunner for an Oscar for his role as Jean Valjean

Hugh Jackman:Les Misrables,Life, Friends and Family

by siA n ewArs (thtvfd)

Hugh Jackmanas Jean Valjeanphoto courtesy es Misrables

Cont

7/29/2019 Will Hugh Jackman get an Oscar for Best Actor?

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As for his acting career, it seems that Jackman con-

stantly plays the hero, especially when it comes to X-

Men. When asked what fans can expect in the latest

installment, he joked, Theres a lot of singing in it.

[Laughs] After Les Mis, everything is going to be sung!He added, No, I would be spat at on the street by

many Wolverine fans. Thats one character that I will

tell you never will sing. But I am very, very excited

about it. I think it is the best one we have done, so I am

very happy. Jim Mangold directed it and he did a great

job.

The short-term excitement of fulfilling p

acting roles aside, Jackman finds contentm

decision to become an actor. It was never

that I was meant to do anything else. I was

of those people who didnt know what I waand when I studied acting, thats the first

loved it and, I suppose, thats what I wanted

concluded.

Les Miserbles is now playing in theatre

installment of the X-Men series, The Wo

slated for a July 2013 release.

roles thats been played many, many, many times by

many, many great actors and will be played by many

more after me as well, he explained, adding, But on

stage and on film, all around the world, its an incredi-

ble character. Its one that demands everything in the

musical sense. Its not just emotional and physical, but

its also vocal. So in every way it was demanding, more

than I had ever been asked to play before and often,

all at once.But even with the pressure of living up to past rendi-

tions, Jackman doesnt suffer from insecurity. In fact,

hes quite confident in his acting abilities. Occasion-

ally I feel, Okay, thats okay. Most of the time its like,

Theres a better take! Ill think, Why did he make that

choice? I could have done this better! Whatever, but I

probably have felt this less [with Les Misrables]

than I have in other things.

But regardless of how taxing the role may be, Jack-

man doesnt hesitate to talk about the perks of this

very special experience. This felt different. We all felt

like we were in it together and we rehearsed for nine

weeks together, which, if you dont know, is probably

the length [it takes to film] most movies. So it was athing of discovery for all of us.

Les Misrables isnt Jackmans first musical expe-

rience. I came to musicals as an actor and it surprised

the hell out of me. I thought my agent was on drugs

when she put me up for a musical when I was twenty-

six, he recalled, adding, I hadnt had a singing lesson

before and I worked so hard with musicals to make it

feel natural. Its more natural to me now than it was

twenty years ago. The Les Mis crowd will probably

thank his agent for making that choice, especially for

some of the harder scenes.

Life experiences have also played a role in his acting.

In a scene where Jean Valjean prays for redemption,

Jackman feels like he has the ability to relate. I havespiritual belief and I believe in quietness, quiet is the

way to get those answers. I am also very lucky to have

an incredible wife who I pretty much share everything

with, warts and all, so in that way I suppose thats who

I communicate with most, but all of us have that need

at some point and always will, because we constantly

make mistakes.

Hes also extremely honest with his thoughts on the

themes of the movie and how it will affect the younger

generation. I am going to be honest, I think the

younger generation is more switched on to socialissues than my generation was. I think it would be

great for young people to read the book. Its hard to

read the book and find a positive case for the great

inequality in the world being natural and I think Victor

Hugo very starkly points out that its not natural and

its avoidable, Jackman remarked.

Jackman Continued

p

Les Misrables is a really

spiritual book, in a

nonreligious way: To love

another person is to see the

face of God. We can live

tough lives, but the human

spirit is stronger, seemingly,

than anything. There is

redemption, hope, and love.

There is beauty and bliss.

Even though the title

doesnt make it sound like a

romantic comedy, in the end

it is. There is something for

everybody in it.

~HUGH JACKMAN