XMEN: Days of Future Past -- PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION

[mamaleh]

Yes, he mentioned Balmoral Beach. The story may be exaggerated, but I hope Gus lets it slip one day.

Ellen

[jo]

Can't believe I am going to see the movie tomorrow evening!

emoticon-cartoon-020 giggle emoticon-cartoon-023

Past and future Wolverine -- excited to see ya


Jo

[jo]

The marketing for this movie is very much over the top

They have released gazillion clips and posters and media tour interviews and what-have-yous.

But this MSN feature simply exhorts how each individual cast member is eye candy and HOT giggle

t.entertainment.msn.com/jennifer-lawrence-hugh-jackman-and-more-x-men-cast-eye-candy-2?toc=celebs

And to think many are Oscar winners and nominees and well-respected theatre thespians! But that unique career distinction is not what is being touted about - LOL!

Hugh has two clips wolverine


Jo

[jo]

Many of the media tour interviews dwell on the same things about the movie and even about Hugh -- but occasionally some gems are unearthed by enterprising journalists about his personality.

m.todayonline.com/entertainment/movies/ode-hugh-jackman

An ode to Hugh Jackman

Why the mighty Wolverine really is the nicest guy in Hollywood


Genevieve Sarah Loh
Updated: May 21, 4:30 AM


Everybody loves Hugh Jackman. Don’t believe me because I’m a biased member of the female species? Then ask anyone who has met the 45-year-old Aussie.

Whether that’s one of the lucky fans whose wait at the recent X-Men: Days Of Future Past blue-carpet experience in Singapore was rewarded with an autograph or selfie with the man himself; the perpetually unimpressed hard-nosed journalist doing the press rounds; or the startled kaya-toast shop aunties who served the actor when he visited their store last Wednesday morning in search of a Singapore breakfast, it’ll be a unanimous answer: Hugh Jackman is a nice guy. The nicest guy in Hollywood; possibly even the world, if you ask us.

He’s a loving husband, a dedicated father of two and a gentleman who’d hold the elevator door open or throw his coat over a puddle for you. He’s also a Broadway-singing, Oscar-nominated, Golden Globe-, Tony- and Emmy-award-winning triple-threat superstar. And he’s Wolverine.

Too good to be true? The proof is in the kaya (which, incidentally, he bought more of to take home to his wife and kids). Even the rapacious tabloid website TMZ.com surrendered its evil quest to pin any crud of salacious dirt on him years ago and crowned Jackman “the world’s greatest dad/husband/actor/humanitarian/bacci-baller/speller/husband”.

Of course, many big movie stars can seem nice enough in person. Swish hotel suites, first-class travel, free-flowing champagne, 40-million-dollar paydays and a whole lot of flattery will put anyone in a good mood — even Russell Crowe, as I can personally attest to. Smart stars know which side their bread is buttered.

Having had the opportunity to interview Jackman several times, I can bear witness to the fact that he is a whole other kind of superstar. Perhaps it’s the sincerity that transcends the perfunctory fixed smiles and cursory answers one usually expects from stars during routine press junkets. Perhaps it’s because he’s the epitome of Australian unflappability. Or perhaps, it’s simply because the guy is just thankful.

“I know it’s going to sound like such a line, but it’s true,” Jackman told TODAY when we sat down for an interview at The Ritz-Carlton Singapore. “I woke up on the first morning of the (Days Of Future Past) shoot feeling … very grateful. I’ve been around this business long enough to know how rare something like this is — to play such a great part, in a series that I’m proud of — and we’re back with the original cast, director and producers.

“The whole thing feels fresher than ever — and that’s a hard thing to pull off! These movies are fun, spectacular and thrilling but also have something to say. That’s why I feel so grateful to be part of not only a character that I love, but also (a movie) that actually has something to say and continues to do that.”



BACK TO THE FUTURE



X-Men: Days Of Future Past is the seventh instalment of a film franchise that arguably kick-started the comic book superhero blockbuster genre back in 2000. This one involves multiple timelines, bringing together old and new cast members to form a massive fan-favourite ensemble, including Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, Halle Berry as Storm and two sets of Professor Xs (James McAvoy and Patrick Stewart) and Magnetos (Michael Fassbender and Ian McKellen). And, of course, standing front and centre, claws and all, is a Wolverine that might surprise your pre-conceived notions.

“I do love that it’s a whole different side of Wolverine,” said Jackman of his character’s tamer, less slashy-stabby side. “It was (writer) Simon Kimberg’s idea … setting Wolverine up where the challenge is to not fight, to not take someone’s head off, to not get mad, but to have to bring people together. It is something Wolverine is not good at. It was a challenge for me as an actor and as a character.

“Right now, I am enjoying him more than ever. I love playing the character.”

So much so, he is determined to hold on to Wolverine as long as he can. “I am getting older, you know? I can’t fight the same!” he laughed, talking about putting on those Adamantium claws for the seventh time. “Seriously though, physically, it’s getting harder.”

“Have you heard the old joke of the four stages of being an actor in Hollywood?” he asked, conspiratorially. “Who is Hugh Jackman? Get me Hugh Jackman! Get me the younger Hugh Jackman! Who is Hugh Jackman?

“And I am rapidly approaching ‘Get me the younger Hugh Jackman!’” he laughed. “I am not going to make it easier for them. At least, I am going to make them work for it. I get goose bumps at the end of this because all I can see are the possibilities not only for Wolverine, but for the entire (X-Men) universe.”

So, dare we ask what’s next for Wolverine, beyond 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse?

“There is a famous comic book called Old Man Logan, and I think I’m rapidly approaching that one,” laughed Jackman, who turns 46 this year. “But there really are a number of places we’re looking at (taking the character), and I’m really excited. Obviously, I can’t tell you about them now, but we’ll leak when the time is right.”

So he can’t tell us about the future — how about the past, then? If he could choose a time period to travel back to, to right the wrongs of his future past, when would that be?

“If I could choose, there would be no doubt it’ll be high school. I’m going to say from 1985 to 1990. It wasn’t about ‘this girl or that girl’, but about the choices I made. I took things too seriously. Everything to me back then was so important … I look back now and everything did not matter at all,” he said.

“It seemed like I had all these responsibilities when I was 15. And now, looking back, really, there were no responsibilities at all,” he laughed. “Maybe being that kind of person made me who I am today, but I wish I had a little more fun. I look back and I’m like, ‘Really, mate?’”

Aw, shucks. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why everybody loves Hugh Jackman.

[jo]

Right to the very end ( when the movie actually opens in America), there is no letup for Hugh doing publicity -- here's an enjoyable Q&A with the ESPN hosts:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3ZuPpRhDD8


Hugh must be any studio's dream movie star public relations rep! But I hope he is not over-exposing himself. Sometimes, some things he says get twisted or misinterpreted



LOL- here's another ESPN interview . They must love him there, with his knowledge and interest in sports!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXTkAJZGLlw#t=297

Jo

[jo]

And this is not work -- more like perks of being a superhero movie star

www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/x-men-star-hugh-jackman-706123

The Wolverine actor showed off his World Cup knowledge and his game talk during a "SportsCenter" appearance on Tuesday.





Hugh Jackman ESPN - H 2014.

ESPN

Hugh Jackman is better known for his acting skills and muscle mass than his sports knowledge, but the X-Men: Days of Future Past star showed off his know how when he made a special visit to ESPN on Tuesday.






The multi-talented Aussie actor -- who can sing, dance, host, produce and bench-press his own body weight -- was surprisingly savvy about U.S. sports as he chatted about the NFL, NBA, World Cup, and challenged John Cena to a WWE bout.

"Psyched is not strong enough of a word. Let’s call it a 'fantasy day,'" Jackman said about his trip to Bristol, Conn., to visit the famous SportsCenter set.

"So far it’s been awesome. This has been the easiest, most fun, most energizing work day of my life. You can’t even call it work. The only TV that I watch pretty regularly is SportsCenter. In fact, it’s almost the only TV I watch."

PHOTOS: 'X-Men Days of Future Past' Premiere

No one is betting on the Australians to win the upcoming World Cup in Brazil, but Jackman said that isn't going to stop him from cheering on his homeland when they take on Chile June 13, in a match that will air on ESPN.

"Rest assured. I’m going to be watching. I’ll be with my daughter and her friends that day. They’re not going to be as understanding that I’m going to be stopping everything to see this match, but I am," he said, adding hopefully: "Because come on…Australia, we can do it!"

STORY: X-Men: Days of Future Past Review

With the latest X-Men installment -- which also stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, Nicholas Hoult, Ellen Page and Peter Dinklage -- hitting theaters on Friday, the star of seven of the films revealed which sports stars he thought would made powerful mutants.

Needing a dose of dysfunctionality as well along with brawn and brains, he suggest Miami Heat star LeBron James (although he is too grounded) or Seattle Seahawks' Richard Sherman, who proved he has a feisty temper during a post-game interview with Erin Andrews earlier this year.

STORY: ESPN Anticipates More World Cup Growth in 2014 Before Rights Expire

Later, the Les Miserables Oscar nominee proved he didn't need Wolverine's claws to reveal his angry side, when he challenged WWE's Cena to a battle in the ring. "I am the Flying Aussie, I am coming off the top rope -- you're going down!"

Watch a video clip below of Jackman's challenge to the wrestler.

Hmm... when will he be joining the PAN filming, as he expects to still be in the USA by June 13?





Jo

[jo]

A little bit of promotion from our shores --

Andre Allan Alvarez ‏@andreallan · 24m
Since today's the opening of X-Men Days Of Future Past in the Philippines, I'm posting this pic with @realhughjackman pic.twitter.com/BySN7C8vNC

What to wear tonight -- my "24601" or my "A Steady Rain" tee giggle

Both are my favorite roles


Jo

[jo]

The XMEN then ( 2000) and now (2014)--

www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/feature/a572783/x-men-cast-then--now-travel-back-in-time-to-see-hugh-jackman-in-2000.html#~oEZC1GJK98kcke
























A solid team with the acting talent, physical appeal, and charisma which gave the franchise its gravitas up to now!

And they really lucked out on Hugh Jackman as Wolverine!


Jo

[jo]

Posh screening and party for DAYS OF FUTURE PAST


www.vogue.com/parties/xmen-cinema-society-party/



Hugh with Vogue's Anna Wintour

Last night, superheroes swarmed SoHo—or at least they did on-screen. The media and social elite came out for the Cinema Society and 21st Century Fox screening of X-Men: Days of Future Past at the Crosby Street Hotel. Nibbling on candy bars were Olivier Theyskens, director Paul Haggis (who brought his kids), actress Louisa Krause, and designer Nicole Miller. Also getting into the mutant spirit were Alina Cho, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, and Nicky Hilton who proclaimed, “My favorite character is the blue one—Mystique.” Although Jennifer Lawrence, who plays the aforementioned character, wasn’t on hand, three of the stars—Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, and Famke Janssen—took to the stage to introduce the film whose franchise began nearly fifteen years ago. When asked which was harder to train for—his role as Wolverine or preparing for the upcoming Tony Awards—Jackman said, “This took about two-and-a-half years of training. With the Tonys, it’s about singing and dancing and having fun."

PS: Darren Aronofsky was there, too - wearing a WOLVERINE tee-shirt!





And the Murdochs ( Rupert and James) were there, too.




Jo

[jo]

A little more detailed account of the special NYC screening, from PAGE SIX --


pagesix.com/2014/05/21/hugh-jackman-toasts-x-men-at-vip-screening/

Hugh Jackman toasts ‘X-Men’ at VIP screening


By Emily Smith
May 21, 2014 | 10:36pm





Sightings...
.

Hugh Jackman may be the hardest-working man in showbiz.

The star of “X-Men: Days of Future Past” has been in countless countries in the last week promoting the film — and last night introduced a VIP screening in New York.

Jackman, along with his co-stars James McAvoy and Famke Janssen, mingled with Anna Wintour, Darren Aronofsky, Roger Ailes and Ivanka Trump at the event hosted by Rupert and James Murdoch and 21st Century Fox.

“The Wolverine” star Jackman told the crowd, “I can’t believe it’s 15 years since we began this journey, ‘X-Men’ came out in 2000, we were filming it in ‘99. To everyone who brought kids tonight, remember, cheer and yell and scream, because that is what happens with these movies, I’ve been in the theaters on opening night … when you see ‘X-Men’ fans, it is unbelievable.”

Of the film, which opens Friday, he added, “We loved making this movie, I have done all seven movies, and I think this is the best of the lot.”


Of working with acclaimed actor McAvoy, Jackman continued,“His performance is phenomenal … the very first day of filming he had to do a three-page scene opposite Sir Patrick Stewart. The tightrope couldn’t have been higher, the pressure couldn’t have been more, and I’ve never seen someone crush it more than this man. He’s one of the great actors going around today.”

Others at the Crosby Street hotel reception and screening included astrophysicist and “Cosmos” host Neil deGrasse Tyson, who proved as popular as Jackman, with many guests asking for photos, Deborra-Lee Furness, Helena Christensen, Rosanna Scotto, Nicole Miller, Paul Haggis, Dave Zinczenko, June Ambrose, Olivier Theyskens, Caroline Rhea, Luke Janklow and Fox News’ Neil Cavudo, with his sons Jeremy and Bradley, of whom he said, “They know every word of the ‘X-Men’ movies.”

CNN “New Day” host Chris Cuomo arrived at the last minute with his young son Mario, who was overjoyed to unexpectedly bump into Jackman. The actor posed for pictures before serving him candy, adding, “You need some for the film.”

I saw the movie again, but with a mixed crowd this time. During the first time I saw it, it was in a packed house ( there were about 4-5 screenings in different cinemas) - it was full of true XMEN fans. Every reference to a past movie or every XMEN iconic-ism or a beloved character trait ( "Bub!" ...or the sight of a white-lock Rogue, or the redhead Jean and the handsome Scott) was met with laughter or hoot or sentimental sigh or struck-dead "wow" ( the morning-after scene with the 1973 Logan ...the young men also appreciated how well-muscled their Wolvie was). They also hooted the loudest with the erroneously-maligned ( when he was first cast) actor who played Quicksilver...They knew their comic books and their XMEN movies!

No wonder that in the posh NYC party, it was probably the youngsters who had such a fun time!

Jo

[JH4HJ]

Video of a bit of a radio interview - Hugh, Patrick and James. (2 min.)

[jo]

[jo]

This really belongs to a thread that should be called "The first XMEN movie" -- but maybe we can post it here in the context of how he is now regarded, 14 years later


www.vulture.com/2014/05/hugh-jackman-reviews-for-first-x-men-movie.html

Today at 11:00 PM


What Did Critics Say About Hugh Jackman When He Debuted in the First X-Men Movie?
By E. Alex Jung



Remember the year 2000? We had just gotten over that Y2K thing, Beyoncé was still in Destiny’s Child, and Bryan Singer had made a last-minute change and cast Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in X-Men. (Oh, Dougray Scott: what could have been.) From that point on, Hugh Jackman would get bigger and bigger (quite literally) with each X-Men movie, awards-show hosting gig, and Broadway production. But what did critics think of Hugh when he was just an unknown Australian thespian?


"He may even have found a major new star in Hugh Jackman, the Australian actor who plays Wolverine, a tormented mutant fighter with retractable metal claws. Brawny but lithe, Jackman gives an aggressively sexual performance, though there’s no sex in the movie. Singer gets something going beteween Jackman and Famke Janssen, a mutant doctor with telepathic powers, but he throws it away. The real love match is a meeting of souls between Jackman and Anna Paquin (the girl in The Piano), an anguished teen-age mutant who tries to make out with her human boyfriend and winds up putting him in a coma." —David Denby, The New Yorker


"Jackman's Wolverine, meanwhile, is a wonderful creation. Apparently, Singer once wanted Russell Crowe for the role, and Jackman, who's Australian, plays the part with a growling sensitivity not unlike Crowe's. Wolverine is off-the-charts cool as a superhero. But he's also just a screwed-up guy — the noble, conflicted soul of the whole X-Men universe." —Jeff Giles, Newsweek


"In the leading role of Wolverine, a hirsute renegade mutant with a tendency to sprout Freddy Krueger-like steel claws, Singer has cast nearly unknown Australian actor Hugh Jackman. With his striking resemblance to the Man With No Name-era Clint Eastwood, Jackman proves a likable, laconic star, but in a sense he’s getting a free ride. This fantasy aimed at American teenagers is largely carried by a conflict between two characters past middle age, played by arguably the two greatest living actors of the English stage (even if one of them is best known for commanding the Starship Enterprise)." —Andrew O’Hehir, Salon


"So far as the mutants go, the movie spends too much time dwelling on the problems of glowering Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and tremulous Rogue (Anna Paquin), but even here the romantic self-pity has a Cheez Doodle airiness." —J. Hoberman, The Village Voice


"With a face of fury partially covered by mutton-chop sideburns, Jackman is this film's star and brings a necessary level of acting intensity to the project." —Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times


"I can't help wondering how a guy whose knuckles turn into switchblades gets to be the top-ranking superhero." —Roger Ebert, The Chicago Sun-Times


"The two-fisted Wolverine, well played by Mr. Jackman, is perhaps the only other semi-rounded character who animates the picture besides Xavier and Magneto. He lives to fight, a boisterous tragic hero without complication. (Bits of his back- story, lifted from the 'Weapon X' comic series, are suggested here.)" —Elvis Mitchell, The New York Times


"The most arresting of the heroes is Logan, a.k.a. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), an unsmiling, vaguely counterculturish-looking fellow (his hair and sideburns are very early-'70s werewolf) with a surgically implanted second skeleton made of metal rods, which allows him to shoot razor talons out of his knuckles. 'When they come out,' someone asks, 'does it hurt?' 'Every time,' says Wolverine, grimly feeling his own pain." —Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly


"As Wolverine, Aussie thesp Jackman (a last-minute replacement for Dougray Scott when latter was detained on M:I-2) gets enough screen time to create an admirably cynical, melancholy character." —Dennis Harvey, Variety


"Chief among the 'good' mutants is Wolverine, who lends the movie a touch of sex appeal. Australian Hugh Jackman makes a charismatic Wolverine, something like Maxim de Winter in "Rebecca," a man of romance, dark secrets and black moods. Oh, and a double-curved sweep of hair that just barely suggests pointed animal ears tuned to higher frequencies." —Jami Bernard, New York Daily News


"Jackman looks oddly like - and even manages to sound like - Clint Eastwood during his sideburn years." —Jonathan Foreman, New York Post


"The acting [...] is generally spotty-though everybody looks so gosh-darned good you don't care. Much. [...] But it's Jackman, the latest in an apparently endless procession of brooding Australian hunks, who makes the best impression as the brooding Wolverine." —Gene Seymour, Newsday


"The second is Wolverine, played by Aussie Hugh Jackman, a fellow with a very square head who looks like Neil Diamond on steroids. Wolverine is a human switchblade. He has titanium blades spring-loaded into his bones. They pop out of the raw flesh when he's agitated, turning him into a Cuisinart with an attitude problem. His mutation is that he heals with absurd speed, so that when he folds up his knives, the skin heals over them. Someone thought this was cool?" —Stephen Hunter, The Washington Post


"None of the actors distinguishes himself or herself — unless you want to praise Romijn-Stamos for enduring that body paint job or mention newcomer Jackman's unusual resemblance to the young Clint Eastwood, squint and all." —Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

[JH4HJ]

Forgive me for asking, but what is the big hubbub about Wolverine being naked for a few secs in this movie? It seems to be all over the place lately. Hasn't Hugh done that in most of these movies? I'm pretty sure they showed a clip of his ("Wolverine's") bare butt on the screen during Back on Broadway, and there was a (rather demure) nude scene - crouching in a barn - in one of the others. Is it my imagination, or has The Internet just noticed that he does this?

[jo]

Have you seen the movie, Valerie

I think there is much more attention to that nude scene because --

*Unlike in previous movies, where the nude scenes were rather more like image flashes, this one shows his whole back ( actually entire body) full on as he stands up to face the mirror and lingers a little bit more (almost like a statue in more ancient times). Almost like a slow-mo!

*The circumstances were also different -- in previous movies, they were after the adamantium-bonding process, while in DOFP, it was a morning-after scene from a romantic ( if you can call it that) encounter. Although, ironically, he could not even remember who she was and his "return" to the past with all the iconic symbols ( the song First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, the waterbed, the lamp) had him more in a daze or befuddlement.

*The PG-13 rating had explicitly mentioned that there is NUDITY in the film. Not sure if this was the same for previous movies where he was also shown in some nudity scenes. Some say it was gratuitous, but many ladies have a different outlook - LOL!

*The film brought more attention to Hugh's scene, compared to the body-suit clad ( but supposedly nude) Mystique/Jennifer Lawrence.

*It has been a bit of a talking point in some talk shows and media interviews, including the supposed reaction from Ava

*Also, in this time of overwhelming use of social media now - it has been the subject of quite a number of tweets.





Jo

[alma]

May 23, 2014 14:35:23 GMT -5 JH4HJ said:

Forgive me for asking, but what is the big hubbub about Wolverine being naked for a few secs in this movie? It seems to be all over the place lately. Hasn't Hugh done that in most of these movies? I'm pretty sure they showed a clip of his ("Wolverine's") bare butt on the screen during Back on Broadway, and there was a (rather demure) nude scene - crouching in a barn - in one of the others. Is it my imagination, or has The Internet just noticed that he does this?

Well, Valerie, if I remember correctly, there was that scene of Hugh sleeping face down after making love in Halifax, then Wolverine running out of Striker's lab, then Eddie looking up when his girl friend of the moment opens the door in Someone Like You, then Wolvie again rising from that water tank and running through the fields to hide in the barn... not really counting the Australia love scene or the Scoop bed scene... (am I missing an instance or two?) and then there's 70's Wolvie getting up from the water bed to look at his face in the mirror, while we see his ...back.

This one's is a bit different, and a bit more. You'll see.

Alma

[jo]

From the special NYC screening --

Chris Cuomo ‏@chriscuomo · 18h
@realhughjackman look at my Mario's shock at being with the Wolverine! Great movie. Thanks, againflr the kindness pic.twitter.com/UQ5QDjP7fo

Cute Mario is hugging Hugh's legs


Jo

[JH4HJ]

Jo - No. I haven't seen it. I did notice that it made it here (rather remote/rural/SMALL town) on the scheduled "wide" opening date, but I probably won't even consider it until after the holiday weekend.

Alma - Yes, that's what I mean. Hugh has never seemed shy about this type of scene. He's done it before. So why does there seem to be such a "fuss" over it this time? Or am I just imagining it and there isn't a fuss? - Or there was a fuss all the other times too, and I just didn't notice? Oh well. No worries. Guess I'll just have to wait and SEE for myself. -sigh- Such a chore.

[wildfire]

The reason they are making a fuss about the nude scene is to sell the movie to women. It is all about publicity.

[jo]

Here's Hugh talking about his children's reaction to that scene, with Josh Horowitz --

www.mtv.com/news/1831287/hugh-jackman-x-men-nudity/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[alma]

I have not read the script, and previous to watching the film I only knew what Hugh has mentioned in his interviews. But right away the scene in the Pentagon kitchen became my favorite. And it seems I'm not the only one who feels that way!

www.mtv.com/news/1830732/x-men-star-evan-peters-was-way-too-excited-to-play-quicksilver/



Alma

[jo]

Hmm...it seems James McAvoy can have a temper ( this reminded me of his cantankerous young Charles Xavier - LOL!) --

www.irishmirror.ie/showbiz/james-mcavoy-screams-get-f-3603176

Fans can be annoying but maybe given that this franchise appeals to the younger generation, he could have been more patient with his language...and maybe simply told them that he is not signing or taking photos that time. Of course we don't know the full circumstances -- but I cannot imagine Hugh being this annoyed ( the only public display was when he had expressed some degree of annoyance for having his performance in A STEADY RAIN interrupted by a cell phone ringing in mid-show).

Jo

[jo]

Insightful video interview with a lady journalist from India --

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnNLxLUrDrc

*how he approaches acting roles
*how he approaches the Wolverine roles, as he has had to interpret them a number of times
*how he views an opportunity to get back to the past
*how he views singing and dancing roles ( he says he is not a real singer and dancer )

Hugh is always patient and try to be as articulate everytime about his views. Many media people complain how perfunctory many actors/actresses are who do media tours.

Maybe it is the budget limitations - but I wish he were interviewed more ( other than talk show appearances which are more performance-oriented) when he does theatre work. It is not that often that we see him talk about the theatre or his roles ( like we did with Theatre Walk) at length.


Jo

[alma]

We've heard of the BB-gun fights, the game of punching each other, the dancing (to Blurred Lines)... It's obvious they got along really well. I hope the DVD has lots of behind-the-scenes.

www.mtv.com/news/1831255/x-men-magneto-professor-x/

Alma

[jo]

Occasional excellent interviews still coming out --

www.empireonline.com/interviews/interview.asp?IID=1888

Hugh Jackman Talks X-Men: Days Of Future Past
The once and future Wolverine on Days Of Future Past




Thanks to his brief and agreeably sweary cameo in X-Men: First Class, Hugh Jackman is the only actor to have appeared in all seven X-Men movies. Not bad at all. He pulls double duty in X-Men: Days Of Future Past, as an older, wiser, greyer Wolverine in the year 2023, and the 1973 vintage, as Logan is sent back to the past in order to bring Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr together to avert a cataclysm that will destroy mutantkind and mankind alike.

We caught up with Jackman twice for our Days Of Future Past article, first a few days after our set visit last August and then again in late December. The following article is an amalgamation of both interviews.


Hugh, you're the only person to have appeared in all seven X-Men movies. That officially makes you the C-3PO of the franchise.
(laughs) I snuck into one of them. Is Threepio the only one?


Well, R2-D2 as well.
I like being in that club. I'm more an R2-D2 fan myself, but I like that. I'm not sure if we'd have a great night out or anything. I gotta tell you, it was a weird feeling, because the way they structured the filming, they did the future first, because of the availability of Ian and Patrick who were going off to do a play. We shot all that future stuff first so it was a literal reunion with Bryan Singer and everybody, and it was phenomenal. We had new players but we had the old gang. Then about a month in James McAvoy was the first to come in and do a scene - the scene with Patrick Stewart - and that was amazing. And then it was like this new movie, where Bryan and I were in a way outsiders. I had about three hours on that first movie, and they have a really strong bond, as did we. And it's a really close-knit ensemble. It was great. It does feel like everything is coming full circle.


Did you feel like the dad of the group?


In terms of box office, yes of course it's the biggest movie and there is pressure. But this is where actors are selfish: we always say we don't care about the box office until it's really good.

Not in the first bunch! I'm the kid and the dad. It was Ian and Patrick who led the X-Men. They set the tone. I've always said I was a huge fan of their work and always had been from studying theatre. I knew when audiences saw them it would be like seeing Pacino and De Niro in Heat, these two together. They spark off so well. I felt that they had big shoes to fill, Michael and James, and I thought that they did it so well and created an amazing dynamic. I love how that film centred on that relationship. But I was definitely the old man. At one point they were running around the park shooting BB guns at each other, and I was very close - I didn't say it, thank God - to saying, 'Come on, you lot, this is very unprofessional!'. But I didn't. I should have.


You'd only worked with McAvoy and Fassbender for half a day before that.
Yeah, but if you're going to be there for half a day, I had about as great an opportunity as you can have in terms of a cameo. I remember getting the call about that and I said, 'Does anybody else swear in the movie?' They said, 'No'. I said, 'I'm in. I'm totally in'. Both those guys are great, great actors and they have different styles, and they're good friends and they really play off each other very well. They bring a great intensity and it also gives them an opportunity to show more vulnerability. They're more three-dimensional in a way than what Patrick and Ian had.


Because Days Of Future Past is the biggest movie to date, does that up the pressure to deliver at the box office?
I don't know about that, mate. In terms of box office, yes of course it's the biggest movie and there is pressure. But this is where actors are selfish: we always say we don't care about the box office until it's really good. I think with Bryan it was more that we have an opportunity - who knows what will happen in the future of the franchise - but here we have an opportunity to come back for the first time in ten years. He created it, it's his baby and there was a time-travel element which is a genre in itself and I know that Bryan wanted to make the best X-Men movie that he's made. I heard him say at one point, I'm really into time travel and he was very pedantic about all the details. He said he wants to make the best time travel movie ever. There is pressure on actors and directors, but it's always put on themselves.


Was there disappointment when Bryan left X3 to direct Superman?
Of course. Bryan wanted to do it and he was on the picture. I totally understood why he wanted to do Superman. I always tell the story of him directing me. I was up on the Statue of Liberty set for X-Men 1 and he was on the loudspeaker going, 'It's just like that moment where Superman rips off the car door and pulls Lois Lane out of the car!' I go, 'Bryan, that was 1978, I haven't seen that movie in 20 years!' He goes, 'Stop the movie!' and he brings me to his trailer and shows me the movie. That movie was always an important movie for him and I got it.

Brett [Ratner] ended up coming in about three weeks before we started and did a great job. It probably wasn't ideal, but a lot of people love that movie and I know for the fans it's not their favourite, but I know people who aren't comic book fans who like it. I'm not going to sit here and trash it, but I think that Bryan established something that was growing and there's a sense with Days Of Future Past that he's completing the circle.




After X3, obviously you went off on your own as Wolverine, but did you think that The Last Stand would be the last X-Men movie for you?
Yep. I thought that was it. I can't remember what everyone else thought, but there was already talk about doing a younger version, I think. I was certainly talking about Wolverine and trying to drum up interest in that. I think the idea of another X-Men movie was done, so it was a surprise and a welcome one for us to come together again. It was not one person – everyone was really grateful to be back. Not one person was like, 'OK, I'll do it if I have to'. Everyone was really into the idea and it is a genuinely very good script and not just an excuse to get everyone back together. It is a phenomenal story and Bryan is as ambitious as I've ever seen him in terms of wanting to make a great movie.


When did you first hear about the movie?


My son was born on X-Men 1. He was a week old when I took him to the reshoots and he just turned 13 while we were filming Days Of Future Past.

Matthew [Vaughn, who was then-director] called me. When I first heard about it, it was from Matthew. There was no script then, just a synopsis. The idea was already really brilliant but back then there was no script and it was not 100% clear the size of the role I'd be playing. But I wanted to be involved, and it just felt like too good an opportunity in a way.


What was it like for you walking down the hallways to Cerebro once more?
It was pretty amazing. First of all it was so great. They built it exactly as it was. Cerebro was one of the first things I shot for X-Men. I immediately went back to how nervous and scared I was and how different it is now and how much comfortable and at home I feel. At the time, I was walking down those hallways with Nick Hoult and James McAvoy and this is where I felt like an old man. Nick was going, 'I was just six or seven or eight when I saw this and now I'm walking down it with Wolverine'. OK, I get it. Let's move on. It was funny and touching and amazing. Bryan could have made it differently but he's quite nostalgic himself and he recreated it exactly. That was a moment.


Who was your first scene with?
It was me and Ian and Patrick and underneath her suit Halle was three months pregnant. She had a belly, and you realise that all of us were friends and have stayed friends all along, throughout. My son was born on X-Men 1. He was a week old when I took him to the reshoots and he just turned 13 while we were filming. All of us felt an amazing sense of gratitude and know how rare it is to do more than one movie, and how even more rare it is to have the chance, after fourteen years, to come back together again and see how much we liked it.



You mentioned the scene that James and Patrick share. What was that like?
Seeing James McAvoy and Patrick Stewart do a scene together on James' first day of photography, and it was a really deep and important scene, I get goosebumps during those moments. It was wonderful.


You're in the scene, but you're out of shot. Did you watch it?
That's a very good question. I asked Tom Sigel [Director of Photography], 'How long am I on camera for?' He said 'About five seconds' so I counted to ten, opened my eyes and checked it out. For a long time you can just close your eyes and listen to those guys, and it's amazing. I said to James, 'That's an incredible scene, you have to come out of the gate day one to do that scene with Patrick Stewart'. It's an incredible scene and he's a very special actor. But there were many other moments. I've gotta tell you, it was a very unstressed environment. I can't imagine being the line producer on that show, because you've got so many different actors all with schedules. I was the only one they didn't have to worry about, except I was promoting The Wolverine for three weeks in the middle of it. It was a nightmare.


How easily can you become Wolverine now? Do you need to stub your toe in the morning?


Wolverine was created in the '60s, but he feels like a '70s character in every way. More Dirty Harry, more politically incorrect, the hair, the mutton chops.

Frighteningly I can switch it on. I've worked out a couple of triggers. I still take cold showers. Mentally I train in the morning before I film and when I'm in that place, I'm very quiet. I don't yell and scream, I'm more of an interior guy and it's easier for me to get into now. Frighteningly so for my children.


There's a feeling that the second you put Wolverine into an X-Men movie, the focus is on him. Is that the case here?
I do have as much screentime as anyone mainly because I appear in both timelines. But let's be clear, this is a sequel to X-Men: First Class and the heart of the movie is on Charles and Erik and Raven and to some extent Hank as well. That's certainly the focus.

It's an interesting journey for Wolverine because of where he starts the movie. He's a far more evolved character and he's going back in time to when he wasn't so evolved, or was very different anyway. He's being put into a situation where he has to do for Charles what Charles did for him in the first movie. Sending Wolverine on a diplomatic mission is not the done thing. His job is to bring people together. Wolverine's not the guy that does that. He's a really reluctant member of any team, let alone when he hates half the team already, and he knows he's going to go on to hate them and fight them for the rest of his life. It's a really interesting premise that he's thrown into.


How much did you know about the original comic book?
I had looked at it a little bit. I know it's one of the famous ones and I had looked at it in a make-up trailer, but I don't remember if I read it all. I think that the fans are going to love it. Bryan understands the mentality of the fan; he is one himself by nature. He understands that it's a great thing to honour it but it's also necessary to elevate it as well.


Really like the touch of grey hair on Future Wolverine, by the way. Very Mad Max.
Right, exactly. The grey hair is good and it reminds people that he may only look five years older, even if it is 70 years, but he's still slowly ageing. It means when I'm 80, I should be able to play the role. Or in 500 years. (laughs) I sometimes get people saying he's immortal. He's not; he's on a slower road than the rest of us. As a sidenote, I just remembered that Darren Aronofsky [original director of The Wolverine] had a great idea which we tried and couldn't quite pull off, it kind of illustrates Wolverine's thing. When you're a human and you get a wound, you get a scar for the rest of your life. So he said why wouldn't Wolverine? Even though he heals, he'd be completely covered in scars and he had this image of Wolverine being completely disfigured. I thought that was a great idea.




How much fun was it playing Wolverine in the 70s?
First of all, if there's an era for Wolverine, it's the '70s. His hair style, everything, stopped in the '70s. He was created in the '60s, but he feels like a '70s character in every way. More Dirty Harry, more politically incorrect, the hair, the mutton chops. We even play up on it when I get into the car, and yeah, this is a car. [Note: this scene has subsequently been deleted] Everything about Wolverine seems more at home in the 70s. You can smoke cigars everywhere and it's just who he is.

In terms of the body, we played it a little bit but if you follow it through there's not that much of a difference. One of the cool things about him is that he regenerates. But if you look closely you can see that they even shaved a little bit of my chest hair back, to make me look younger, and they were colouring in my beard frantically. The future scenes were easy - that's the real me.


This Logan doesn't have adamantium claws, which must make his relationship with Erik interesting...


Wolverine, Batman, Superman: these parts are bigger than the actors playing them. This part existed before I was born and he will go on long after.

Yeah, this is playing prior to Weapon X. This is prior to him having the adamantium. He's not as controllable by Magneto and they have a really interesting relationship in this. Wolverine has the whole history and he comes to this relationship where the other person has no idea who he is. So he can pick and choose what he wants the relationship to be, and what he wants to tell them or not about the future. It's a powerful place to be for Wolverine. Obviously he's got his agenda, but every relationship is unique. One of the things you realize about Wolverine and Magneto is that they have a lot of similarities, actually.


And you mentioned earlier that Logan has to do for Charles what Charles once did for him, because this Xavier is a broken man.
100%. You're seeing him unhinged. You're certainly seeing that character lower than he's ever been before. You see his troubles, and James is a consummate actor. I'm so impressed with him. It makes so much sense ultimately about what Patrick does. There was a wisdom to Charles and a leadership quality too, and a worldliness and an empathy and finally you see he's been to hell and back. One of the things that unites the X-Men is the emotional trauma that they've gone through. You really see that played out here for him. James has brought that to another level and Bryan's not afraid to delve into that.


Could you handle seeing someone else play Logan?
Oh yeah, sure. Absolutely. I'd get slightly sweaty palms. I'd probably be overly generous. 'Ah, he did a great job!', but I'd be fine with it. It's a great part. Wolverine, Batman, Superman: these parts are bigger than the actors playing them. This part existed before I was born and he will go on long after. I feel unbelievably blessed to have played it [seven times], which someone told me the other day equals even Sean Connery's record. I love that character and will always be proud, but there's a time when it's better for everyone to move on.


If anyone does replace you, they've got their work cut out for them.
Thank you for saying that. Whoever they hire will be like, 'Oh good, now I can do what's meant to be done with this character. 6'3" Aussie? Get out of here!'


Interview by Chris Hewitt

" I love that character and will always be proud, but there's a time when it's better for everyone to move on. "



Is he dropping hints?


Jo