Post by jo on Sept 25, 2024 12:13:45 GMT -5
Hugh Jackman - Actor - 2010s(Credits: Far Out / Dick Thomas Johnson)
The only role Hugh Jackman found more challenging than Wolverine
Michael Gordon
Wed 25 September 2024 16:45, UK
In 2012, Hugh Jackman took on what would become his most demanding role yet—and it wasn’t one of his many appearances as Wolverine. Instead, Jackman faced the challenge of losing weight, digging into deeper emotional territory, and singing live on set every day in Les Misérables. His portrayal of Jean Valjean required an intense level of dedication, both physically and emotionally. The effort paid off, as the performance earned him an Academy Award nomination, showcasing a whole new side of his talent.
The film in question was, of course, Tom Hooper’s lavish version of Les Misérables, and Jackman’s role was that of prisoner-turned-factory-owner Jean Valjean. When Jackman spoke around the time of the musical’s release, he confessed, “For the first part, I play a prisoner, and the prison camps back then were so brutal. And Tom wanted me to be unrecognisable. It’s part of the plot of the story, but also to show the change in him from this incredibly angry soul to ultimately a loving soul.”
On top of that, Hooper’s unique approach to the musical aspects of the film meant the shoot was by no means a cakewalk. Instead of dubbing the actor’s singing voices in post-production, Hooper insisted that they sing live – on every single take. Jackman explained, “We were singing live, but the accompaniment was live as well. We had a little earpiece, and the guys were just upstage playing. So, every take when they called action, it was as if for the first time, and we would always run the entire song through. We’d never do bits and pieces.”
To some observers, this may sound like an unnecessary burden on the performers – but there was a distinct method to Hooper’s madness. In a standard musical film – or one performed on stage – the stars have to be grand and overblown in their performances. It’s just the nature of the beast. As Jackman explained, “Normally, when you’re on stage, you always have to be aware of the back row, and that could be one hundred feet away. So, you always have to pitch your performance to that person.”
By shooting Les Misérables more like traditional cinema, though, Hooper was able to put his cameras in places they’d never usually be in a musical. Film acting is much more naturalistic than stage acting, and this unique process managed to transpose that intimacy to characters, exposing the most broken parts of their souls through song. To emphasise this point, Jackman motioned to his face, and said, “When the camera’s here, it can be internal and private and allow the words to be close to you. Even when you sing it, you get way more variety and freedom of expression.”
In the end, it all added up to a role that took Jackman to places he’d never gone before. He confessed, “I’ve done a lot of physical roles—obviously playing Wolverine and stuff. In a way, this was the most challenging because my character undergoes such a transformation during the movie.”
He concluded, “So, the physicality is a massive part of it, but also emotionally, it’s probably as deep as I’ve ever been required to go.”
