Professional actors are required to set aside their personal inhibitions when performing intimate moments on screen, but Hugh Jackman could not stand his scene with Black Widow star Rachel Weisz. The fact that her lover was in the same room was even more terrifying for the Wolverine star.
Jackman starred alongside Weisz in Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain (2006). At the time, the actress was romantically involved with the director. He initially did not want his fiancée to star alongside Jackman, but the latter insisted.
Hugh Jackman Was Totally Embarrassed Filming Love Scene With His Co-Star
Speaking with MovieWeb, The Mummy star Rachel Weisz revealed she wanted to do the picture, though she never openly expressed it. She also said that the collaboration was done professionally:
“It was Hugh’s idea. I really wanted to do it, but I never said it. Darren’s one of the greatest directors around. I think that who we are in our work and who we are at home is very different; I met the director, and he met the actress. It definitely exceeded my expectations; it was an amazing collaboration.”
Everything was smooth sailing until they reached the part where they had to shoot the love scene. Hugh Jackman did not want to do it, and he had to be convinced. The Prestige star found it uncomfortable with Darren Aronofsky watching them (via The Himalayan Times):
“In the scene, she pulls me in the bath, and we start kissing. Darren didn’t shout, ‘Cut,’ so we kept kissing. Rachel started to take off my shirt, and I was thinking, ‘Shall we keep going?’ Then I heard Darren yelling, ‘Take off his pants! Take off his pants!’ But we couldn’t do it. He said, ‘Why did you stop?’ And I said, ‘Because I thought you were going to beat the crap out of me.’”
Jackman was never on Aronofsky’s list of potential male leads. He had Brad Pitt in mind, but because of scheduling conflicts, he had to find another star. When the director saw Jackman’s performance in the X-Men films, he doubted whether the actor could pull off dramatic acting. It was when he attended Jackman’s play Australia that he finally witnessed his versatility and talent live on stage (via Ain’t It Cool News):
“At the end of the show, I’m suddenly with everyone else on my feet – standing ovation, you know. And, I talked to him, and he was a really nice guy, and everyone will tell you how nice a guy he is. But, he’s authentically nice in the sense that when we were on set, he would treat every P.A. in the same way he treated me.”
The director was so impressed he later gave Jackman a copy of the script, and the latter readily joined the project in a heartbeat.
Hugh Jackman Praises Rachel Weisz For Her Professionalism
Despite the uncomfortable intimate scene, the actors effectively delivered their parts. Hugh Jackman was grateful for the opportunity to work with Darren Aronofsky, and even more so with Rachel Weisz:
“We had a relationship and a close bond between these two people, and that just had to happen on set, and I was very lucky to have Rachel; that girl can do anything as an actress, and she’s incredibly generous.”
Indeed, actors are expected to display professionalism in their job, and that includes successfully executing intimate scenes even under pressure.
The Fountain is available to stream via Apple TV and Prime Video.
Sources: MovieWeb, The Himalayan Times, Ain’t It Cool News
