Hugh Jackman and the Art of Acting

[jo]

Best description of Hugh Jackman as an actor/performer  in the REDDIT conversations about BAD EDUCATION --

mopeywhiteguy 30 points 2 days ago
There was a post the other day about character actors in leading men type bodies and I think Hugh Jackman fits in that description
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[–]TheTayzer 16 points 2 days ago
but he's perfectly fine as a leading man...
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[–]mopeywhiteguy 7 points 2 days ago
Yeah he’s a wonderful leading man but he’s got the talent of a character actor and seems to pick interesting roles that aren’t always in the typical leading man’s wheelhouse
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[–]asdgdjghg 10 points 2 days ago
His acting really shines through when the focus is taken away from his looks. Like all the old-man ageing they did for Logan, or the times he's used prosthetics to subtly blunt his attractiveness for more character-driven roles.
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[–]RuanCoKtE 1 point 2 days ago
It’ll be better for his career too. He’s not worried about becoming a has-been leading man because he isn’t a cut and dry leading man. Between that and his general acclaim I think he’ll be able to find work as long as he wants to.
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[–]mopeywhiteguy 1 point 2 days ago
He’ll work for the rest of his life as long as he wants to. He is an incredible talent and he is always passionate about his projects. I’ve never seen him half ass an interview. He is truly the greatest salesman!
Plus he can lead a show on Broadway whenever he wants. He’s a world class talent and can draw crowd in to see any stage show he’s in
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[jo]

www.cinemablend.com/news/2481438/6-hugh-jackman-movies-that-prove-he-is-more-than-wolverine

6 Hugh Jackman Movies That Prove He Is More Than Wolverine

Will Ashton


Is there anything that Hugh Jackman can't do? The charming A-lister is a bonafide triple threat — a gifted actor, singer and dancer — and he holds an Oscar nomination and two Tony awards to prove it. But for some audience members, they only see Jackman for his most prominent role: Wolverine.

It is certainly not the only character the high profile actor has played throughout his career, but it's undeniably his most recognizable. But if you're only point of reference with Hugh Jackman is when he's wearing those adamantium claws, carrying the character's distinctive mutton chops and possibly chomping down on a cigar, you really should check out some of his other titles. After all, there's a good reason why Hugh Jackman is as famous as he is today.

There's no doubt that Hugh Jackman's time as Wolverine will be looked back upon for a long time fondly by a lot of fans. Nevertheless, let's push aside his time contributing to the Marvel landscape and look at six movies that prove that Jackman is certainly more than Wolverine!


The Prestige
In The Prestige, Christopher Nolan's sorely underrated drama-mystery, Hugh Jackman acts opposite Christian Bale as a magician battling to pull off the ultimate illusion, in a competitive rivalry that finds both professionals forced to sacrifice nearly everything in their competitive need to be the best. While Bale's more, shall we say, deceptive role is typically more celebrated than his co-star's, Hugh Jackman nevertheless gives a great performance.
In the role of Robert Angier, a character whose career and legacy were ultimately built upon tragedy and a desire to be the best, Hugh Jackman does a commendable job capturing the emotional arc of this journeyed character. He brings the emotion and humanity of the story in equal measure, providing us with a nuanced and commanding central figure through which we can connect with the tricky, duplicitous characters. It's an undervalued performance in a good movie, and if you want to see Hugh Jackman in a role that really shows his magic, this is a solid pick.


The Fountain
Like many Darren Aronofsky movies, The Fountain has won over as many fans as it has earned detractors over the years. The ponderous, spiritual and deeply existential sci-fi/magical romance is a dense piece of work, crossing throughout storylines and incorporating immortality, divinity and ever-long devotion and love in a way that can be a little too elusive and overreaching for some folks' tastes. But no matter how you feel about the film itself, many people can agree that Hugh Jackman gives a tour de force performance at the center of the film opposite Oscar-winning actress, Rachel Weisz, who was the artistic director's partner at the time.

As Tomás Verde, i.e. Thomas Creo, i.e. Tommy the Space Traveler, Hugh Jackman must commit very wholeheartedly to the expansive role(s) he plays. Thankfully, Jackman is entirely dedicated to this immensely wide-reaching character, one who finds himself in three completely different timelines and across at least two separate planes of reality. It's a hard role to communicate fully and thoroughly one 97 minute-long movie, but Jackman is a dedicated performer, allowing himself to fully trust the visionary director and provide a wrenching, beautifully emotive performance that is full of spirit and soul. It's hard to know for certain if The Fountain will be your cup of tea unless you watch it, but even if you don't dig it, it's easy to commend Jackman's work.


Les Misérables
The long-awaited film adaptation of the beloved musical sensation based on Victor Hugo's epic tome, Les Miserables was not a flawless transition from the stage to screen, but it was an emotionally intensive, impressively acted feat which featured two particularly phenomenal performances from Anne Hathaway, who deservedly won the Oscar for her work, and Hugh Jackman, who was also nominated for his tremendous take on Jean Valjean.

The captivating, commanding central performance allows Hugh Jackman to show off the exceptional musical talents that have otherwise been sorely absent from the silver screen. While he did some great, Tony-winning musical work on Broadway and on the Oscars stage, Les Miserables was the A-list actor's chance to bring those stellar pipes to the movies, and his performance didn't disappoint. It's a towering, emotionally powerful performance and it's understandable to see why it's among his most celebrated achievements. He would also bring these talents to 2017's The Greatest Showman.



Prisoners
While there are a number of intense performances on Hugh Jackman's resume, his work in Prisoners might take the cake. The moody, often bleak prestige picture is certainly not lighthearted, but through the captivating performance from Jackman at the forefront, the film carries a righteous sort of anger which channels how a decent man can be driven to vengeful violence when the ones they love disappear in the cold, quiet air.

Playing the role of Keller Dover, Hugh Jackman plays a father torn with guilt, terror and dismay. This is the sort of indignant and vicious performance that can only be played by a top-caliber actor. Thankfully, Jackman more than lives up to the challenge, producing an exceptionally haunting performance that shows what Jackman can do when he incorporates Wolverine's visceral anger and brutal strength into a role that's much more grounded in reality.


The Front Runner
While it wasn't quite the Oscar front runner that many folks were hoping it would be, Jason Reitman's The Front Runner is nevertheless an investing and intriguing look at the imploding world of politics, and how everything in the topsy-turvy world of image control and public perception can change in practically an instant, which can feel like a lifetime in the always moving world of media and reporting. In this particular movie, Hugh Jackman plays Senator Gary Hart, the real-life Democrat candidate who inadvertently blended the political and the personal into the world of national coverage, and the politician who found himself going from the forefront of the political world to the disgraced one-time presidential hopeful — all in a matter of three weeks.

It's easy for Hugh Jackman to play a handsome, charismatic political hopeful, and it's hard a stretch to see him capture the tenuous emotions that are abound when you find your life and career on the fringe. But Jackman's take on the real-life political figure is still an impressive one, capturing the wide range of emotional dismay, tormented confusion, blistering guilt and quiet acceptance under the blaring white light of the media circus that can circulate around a man of this stature at this point in the political process. While the accuracy of the movie has recently been disputed, there's a lot to value in Jackman's sturdy, engaging performance, which really brings the whole scope of Gary Hart's promise and downfall into a captivating cube.


Bad Education
Admittedly, Bad Education is still circulating the film festival circuits, and there aren't a lot of people outside of the festival attendees who have had a chance to see the film for themselves. But if the word of mouth lives up to its promises, there's a chance that we might be seeing one of the very best performances of Hugh Jackman's career thus far in this film, which serves as the sophomore feature for up-and-coming young filmmaker, Cory Finley.


According to the early reports, Hugh Jackman plays Frank Tassone, a school administrator who finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of trouble district-wide. While it does sound like some thematically similar content to Jackman's previous performance in the aforementioned The Front Runner, the actor is exceptionally good at playing charismatic figures with weighted moralities, and this performance sounds like it's yet another winner from the exceptionally talented and proven actor. The movie was picked up by HBO Films for a hefty price. We look forward to checking it out very soon.


These are only a handful of the noteworthy, non-Wolverine movies that Hugh Jackman has starred in throughout his celebrated career. There's also the previously-mentioned The Greatest Showman, which could easily be considered among the most prolific of his non-X-Men-related movies to date. The actor has also done a number of voice-only performances in films like Flushed Away, Happy Feet, Rise of the Guardians and, most recently, Missing Link. There are also some intriguing performances in otherwise not-especially-great movies, like Pan, Chappie, Australia and Real Steel, to name a few.

Nevertheless, it should hopefully be made clear that Hugh Jackman has provided audiences with a high volume of acclaimed films and stellar performances. What's your personal favorite non-Wolverine movie from Hugh Jackman? Please be sure to let us know in the comments below. We're sure to have your own personal favorites, and we'll be curious to hear how they compared to the titles we've listed above or failed to mention.


Looking at the wider cinematic landscape, don't forget to look through our 2019 release schedule to learn what's hitting theaters for the rest of this year. Or you can get a head start on planning your theatrical visits next year with our 2020 release schedule.

[jo]

Shared by a friend, who used to post on this message board --

www.stagemilk.com/hugh-jackman-acting-advice/

Stage Milk / Acting Tips / Hugh Jackman Acting Advice

Hugh Jackman Acting Advice

Written by Patrick Cullen on November, 12th 2019 | Acting Tips



Off the back of the extraordinary success of The Greatest Showman, Aussie acting legend Hugh Jackman sat down with the crew of the BAFTA’s and dished out some excellent acting advice. I have compiled the biggest takeaways here for your convenience. Get amongst it.


‘Film is the directors medium, find out who the director is.’

Hugh’s first point in this interview is about the director, trust and collaboration.

“You need to be able to trust that director, and know that the director is going to push to get the best out of you…They give you freedom in these boundaries, kind of like parenting really”

Especially in film, your character lives, breathes and dies at the hands of the director. You as the actor have to be able to trust them and trust their vision. Importantly that they need to know what they want from you and are ready to work with you to achieve it. Research the director before you take a role, look at some of their previous work, grab a coffee with them and get a vibe. If you feel like it’s weird or you don’t connect, it probably isn’t going to work out.



‘The last thing you ever want in front of the camera is doubt’

The viewing audience on the other side of the camera are like circling sharks, but instead of smelling blood in the water, they smell doubt in the performer. Jackman says the last thing you ever want in front of the camera is doubt. A performer who is unsure of themselves, who has not made choices, who cannot take direction is going to really struggle. What this comes back to is doing the preparation. It is great to be spontaneous, but not so great to be unsure of yourself.



‘Be friendly to everyone’

“In the Australian film industry everyone talks to everyone, if they’re not making fun of you they probably don’t like you… I much prefer to feel like we’re in it together”


Particularly in Australia, but I think this applies worldwide – be friendly to the cast and crew around you. No one likes a diva and in the modern industry, that sort of behaviour is just completely unnecessary. Jackman is right about Australian sets too, if the crew is treating you with too much respect it’s highly likely you’re not the most loved person on set. Being a team player is a key part of being an actor, so try and fit into the culture of your film set as much as possible. Everyone is working towards the same goal, to create a great film.



‘I always used to go into auditions like they were a first rehearsal’

“It was my way of redressing the balance of power like I’m trying to please you, but it’s more like we are trying to work together”

He tells a story in this interview about heading into a casting and having a very firm personal interpretation of how he wanted to play the character. Really approaching the audition like he was in a first rehearsal. Encouraging the casting people to work with him in creating this particular moment. Jackman also says this helped him feel less nervous, by positioning himself like he already had the job in his mind, it helped free him up in the room.



‘I spent a long time working on the physical aspects of Wolverine’

“Movement to me has always been really important, I will spend hours just walking around inhabiting a character”
Here we get a slight piece of insight into Jackman’s process. He says he would work from the feet up or sometimes the head down and spend hours working on the physicality of the character. When you see the powerful physicality he presents as Wolverine in the X-Men series his work really does shine through there. It is also a great example of heightened performance seamlessly working in cinema. Worth a look!



‘Just because it feels uncomfortable doesn’t mean it’s not good’

“We so often want to feel comfortable, but that doesn’t always bring the best results”

You will hear every acting teacher, coach and director say some version of this and it is vital to remember. Acting is not about you feeling good. It is not about you having catharsis. It is about embodying a character and telling a story. That story could well require you to feel uncomfortable, or weird or upset. It is vital that you get outside of your comfort zone. If you feel completely comfortable playing Hamlet for over three hours onstage, there is something wrong with you. It should be challenging and uncomfortable at points, and that is okay.


But don’t take it from me, that quote is from Sir Ian McKellan who said it to Jackman while working on the first X-Men film!


‘It’s okay to be nervous’

“Say it, I tried to hide it for 20 years, say it – it is usually relieving to everyone around you”

One thing that I have learnt recently is that everyone is nervous. The director, the producers, the other actors, everyone is nervous. Also clearly being nervous, and saying that you are fine just makes everyone else more nervous, not less. Speak to it. Everyone will understand and will most likely feel relieved that you are feeling the same way.


Conclusion
There is some of the great advice for actors from one of this century’s great actors. Hugh Jackman is an incredible performer across stage and screen and by all accounts is an absolutely lovely human to boot. If you would like to watch the full interview you can watch it below:


About the Author

Patrick Cullen Patrick is an actor, writer, comedian and podcaster based in Sydney, Australia. A graduate of the Actors Centre Australia in 2014, Patrick has been working in film, TV and theatre across Sydney and Brisbane ever since. Patrick can be found glued to test cricket in bars across the land.

Also noted is this 2018 BBC interview --

[mamaleh]

I love how forthright and honest he is about his insecurities and how generous he is about sharing his successful approach to realizing each character.

Ellen

[jo]

[jo]

I was going to put this under Hugh and his Fans... but decided to put his under this discussion thread instead.

From a reply at JackmansLanding re the showing of LOGAN on UK TV --

Mónica Pizano It’s painful 😭 I think this is the only movie where he dies, isn't he? 🤔Correct me if I'm wrong

Ironically, it is in movies where the character played by Hugh Jackman lay dying which are best remembered for its artistic worth --

*Les Misérables
*The Fountain
*The Prestige
*Prisoners - nobody knows
*Logan


And even on stage --
*A Steady Rain (silently contemplating his suicide)


Maybe because Hugh is a very good dramatic actor and his characterization brings on the tearful response to his portrayed death scenes. Robert Downey even once wrote about how impressed he was with Hugh/Angier's dying monologue in THE PRESTIGE. Personally, when he sings " Bring ME Home" as he was shown in his dying moments in Les Misérables breaks my heart.

[jo]

Hugh Jackman's professionalism as an actor draws admiration from many, including some famous ones.

www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-7799623/Kenny-G-reveals-admiration-Hugh-Jackman-meeting-Saturday-Night-Live.html

[jo]

Hugh Jackman has lost the man who helped shape his love for the craft of acting!

http://instagram.com/p/B6yURKGniCe

From an article when he visited back home some 3 years ago --


www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-4790996/Hugh-Jackman-pays-tribute-former-acting-coach.html

'The most influential acting teacher I ever had': Hugh Jackman pays tribute to his former coach Lisle Jones who taught the now A-list star the mantra he still stands by

By Marta Jary For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 03:19 GMT, 15 August 2017 | Updated: 08:05 GMT, 15 August 2017



Hugh Jackman has risen through the ranks to become a bonafide Hollywood star.

But there was a time when he was just an acting school student, and the 48-year-old has paid tribute to the man who turned him from a novice into a professional.

Taking to Instagram on Monday, the Wolverine actor posed with his arms around veteran actor and coach Lisle Jones.


Thank you! Taking to Instagram on Monday, Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman posed with his arms around veteran actor and coach Lisle Jones

Hugh captioned the image: 'Lisle Jones is most influential acting teacher I ever had. Still as sharp as ever.'
The star then went on to share the mantra that the theatre legend taught him as a student.


'A quick reminder of the 3 things he taught me about acting .... breathe, breathe, breathe! Love you Lisle,' Hugh wrote.

It's likely that Hugh worked with Lisle during his tenure at WAAPA (Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts) where Hugh studied.

Hugh graduated in 1994, and Lisle was Head of Acting, then as Head of Theatre Department, at the school during Hugh's time there.


Hugh captioned the image: 'Lisle Jones is most influential acting teacher I ever had. Still as sharp as ever' (pictured in 1998 at the opening night of the musical Oklahoma in London)


Upstart: It's likely that Hugh worked with Lisle during his tenure at WAAPA (Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts) where Hugh studied. Hugh graduated in 1994 (pictured in 1999)

Lisle retired the year after the Logan star graduated, leaving the school in 1995 and moving from Perth to Melbourne.

He's still teaching, and since 2012 has been an honorary lecturer at the The National Theatre in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda.

Hugh was back on home terf last week, spotted at Bondi beach with his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness.

[jo]

From his 2017 visit with Lisle Jones --

http://instagram.com/p/BXxX2yLDWIS

[jo]

[jo]

Jan 3, 2020 18:11:42 GMT -5 jo said:

Please VOTE !


Thanks


Jo

[njr]

Voted! For Fred Astaire, JUST KIDDING! Hugh of course!

Nancy

[jo]

[jo]

So???

It seems that the pollster does not think Hugh has all the attributes ( more than any of the other finalist contenders) to be voted for such a recognition. One has only to look at their range...and there is not much to debate on



Jo

[jo]

[jo]

[jo]

[jo]

[jo]

[jo]

That's why his casting as Wolverine ( despite objections to his height and looks) has won over fans - his portrayal of the badass superhero seems spot on!

It's amusing how producer Lauren Shuler Donner saw that potential when she first saw him as Curly in Oklahoma! in London and eventually suggested him for the role when the filming stalled due to the inability of the first leading man to show up as needed.

Jo

[carouselkathy]

Why aren't Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand on the list? Who make up the list? Love Hugh, but really?

[mamaleh]

I’m surprised Sammy Davis, Jr., didn’t make the list.

Ellen

[jo]

If I am familiar with those kind of unofficial polls -- it probably started as matchup polls and the tweeting public was asked to vote on each match-up...escalating until the finalists were matched against each other. It seems the pollster does not think much of Hugh Jackman and showed surprise that he made it to the final four... and actually won the poll.

To be honest, I think it is more of a popularity poll and since social media seems to be populated more by the younger generation (although some fans did vote for the likes of Day and Astaire), it is likely Judy and Barbra and Sammy no longer enjoy the kind of huge popularity they used to have.

Just a fun poll

But I am glad it further raises the awareness that Hugh Jackman is a really versatile talent!

Jo

[jo]

In a sense, maybe we should call this thread The ART OF PERFORMING!

Jo

[jo]

One of his most iconic scenes - presumably it is all Hugh for the close-up scenes, including that slow-mo shot of his body unfolding to full height on skis!