HERE’S LOOKING AT HUGH

As he returns to the big screen in action thriller Reminiscence, Hugh Jackman revisits some of his most memorable roles

Actor Hugh Jackman revisits some of his film career highlights

Hugh Jackman is the ultimate performer. He can sing, dance and act, and has made his mark on both stage and screen. He won legions of fans playing Wolverine in the X-men films, dazzled audiences with his vocal gifts in

Les Misérables and The Greatest Showman, and more recently, completed his first ever world tour, performing songs from some of his best-loved theatre and film roles.

Next, he’s set to star in the sci-fi thriller Reminiscence, alongside Thandiwe Newton and Rebecca Ferguson. Hugh plays private investigator Nick Bannister, who helps clients access forgotten or deeply buried memories.

Now 52, Hugh is clearly thoroughly enjoying this decade. ‘I’m not really dwelling on my age,’ he says. ‘It does make you more conscious of the passage of time and it reminds me that time is precious and that I should be making the most of this time in my life, which I am.’

A family man, Hugh recently celebrated 25 years of marriage to his wife Deborra-lee Furness. ‘We’re always learning, and humans change so you have to; even though we’ve been together 25 years, you have to reset all the time,’ he says of their relationship. The couple live in New York with their adopted children, Oscar, 21, and Ava, 16.

Here, Hugh looks back on some of the biggest highs of his career…

X-MEN (2000)

‘X-men helped launch my career. I relied on Mike Tyson’s aggressive boxing style and intensity as a way of informing Wolverine’s way of fighting and his pure rage. Tyson was all about pure fury as a boxer and I wanted to incorporate that into Wolverine’s physicality. I didn’t want him to look slick or be like a martial arts expert; I wanted to be all about bull-like rage and explosiveness.’

KATE & LEOPOLD (2001)

‘I found Leopold tough, funny and kind of charming. But he’s not a caricature of niceness. All the things remarkable about him are natural to him.’

VAN HELSING (2004)

‘I had to play Peter Allen on Broadway, so I was dancing in my trailer in my Van Helsing outfit. [Director] Steve Sommers came in and was stunned to see me dancing when I was playing this aggressive character.’

DECEPTION (2008)

‘I was attracted to the idea of playing a darker character in Wyatt. These are parts I don’t play a lot. You are not sure what his motives are, you just have a feeling you shouldn’t be going along with him.’

REAL STEEL (2011)

‘This story resonated with me to some extent, because my dad wasn’t very emotionally giving. Like [my character] Charlie, he wasn’t a touchy-feely guy. He was very English in that way.’

SWORDFISH (2001)

‘Working with John Travolta was a dream come true. He’s a great star. And the guy has far too much fun. He can be like a little kid. We even wound up singing songs from Grease and Sinatra together!’

THE PRESTIGE (2006)

‘As a child, I was very interested in magic and the basic interest was there. But with this film, I was drawn more to the twists and turns and surprises in the story. I just had to do it. And when it comes to filmmaking, [director] Christopher Nolan is a true magician.’

AUSTRALIA (2008)

‘Making this film was an incredible experience. It was also a lot of hard work, especially looking like you know how to handle riding a horse.’