Hugh Jackman

Biography

Early life

Jackman was born in Pymble, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, the youngest of five children of English-born Anglican parents Chris Jackman, an accountant, and Grace Watson. His mother left the family and went back to England when he was eight years old, and he remained behind with his father (an accountant with a degree from Cambridge), and his siblings. Jackman attended Pymble Public School and Knox Grammar School, an all-boys school in Wahroonga, where he was Head of School in 1984, and graduated from the University of Technology, Sydney with a BA in Communications, having majored in journalism. Jackman's introduction to acting was by accident, as he had to take an acting class as part of the requirements for a college diploma. He became interested in the craft and used some money inherited from a relative to attend the WAAPA of Edith Cowan University in Perth, from which he graduated in 1994.

Career

Jackman's early film work includes Erskineville Kings and Paperback Hero (1999), while his television work includes Law of the Land, Halifax f.p., Blue Heelers, and Snowy River: The McGregor Saga (in which he appeared in the recurring guest starring role of Duncan Jones during the seasons' in 1996).

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 also hosted both Melbourne's Carols by Candlelight and Sydney's Carols in the Domain.

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 of London in England. His performance was filmed for television broadcast and DVD release. On 6 June 2002, Jackman sang the role of Billy Bigelow in Carousel in a special concert performance at Carnegie Hall in Manhattan, New York City. He was a last-minute addition to the X-Men cast. Dougray Scott was originally cast as Wolverine, but Scott was tied up on the set of Mission: Impossible II for two additional months of shooting. According to an interview on CBS from November 2006, even his own wife 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 close to a foot taller than Wolverine, who is reported by Marvel Comics to be 5' 3". Therefore, most shots of Wolverine had to be shot in creative ways to make Jackman appear shorter than he actually is; for example, he was often given half-body shots or upward camera angle shots. Despite this, Jackman's performance was highly praised and the film's success immediately made him a star. He reprised the role in 2003's X2: X-Men United, and 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand, the whole trilogy being one of the few to garner over a billion dollars worldwide. For the role of Wolverine Jackman needed to start body building. In Men's Health magazine, he said that at the end of his training, he could bench-press 315 lbs. and leg-press 1000 lbs.

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 2004 and 2005, garnering very positive reviews. The televisation of the these awards earned him an Emmy Award win for Outstanding Individual Performer in a Variety, Musical or Comedy program in 2005.

In 2004 and 2005, he was rumoured to potray as James Bond, by replacing the role from Irish actor, Pierce Brosnan. He refused a picture deal from the 007 producers. The role later went to British actor, Daniel Craig.

In 2006 he was cast to replace Russell Crowe in Baz Luhrmann's Australia, starring opposite Nicole Kidman. He is now preparing a number of movies which he will both produce and star in, including Wolverine, estimated to begin filming around Summer 2007 and a remake of Carousel.

Personal life

Jackman married actress Deborra-Lee Furness in February 1996. They met on the set of his first TV acting job in Corelli, an Australian television program. Jackman played an angry prisoner who fell in love with his counsellor, played by Furness. The couple suffered through two miscarriages, after which they adopted two children, son Oscar Maximillian (b. May 15, 2000) and daughter 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 will be Wolverine in 2008. 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."

According to NNDB, "Jackman has very poor vision, and is unable to even read a menu when he is not wearing his contact lenses. He is left-handed, loves windsurfing, plays the piano, guitar, and violin, and sushi is his favorite comfort food." He also knows how to juggle 5 balls in the air at the same time. He does not smoke in real life, and hates having to do so in films. In real life he is described as a very polite and friendly man, unlike the belligerent, anti-social Wolverine character that made him famous.

He sang the Australian National Anthem in front of 100,000 people at the Melbourne Cricket ground before the 1998 Bledisloe Cup. Also sang the National Anthem at the 1999 NRL Grand Final at Stadium Australia.

Selected filmography

If You Could See Me Now|| || Pre-Production (Also Producer) ||