Hugh Jackman became a Hollywood A-lister when he headlined the blockbuster superhero franchise X-Men where he starred as Wolverine. The Australian actor had only done a few roles in films and TV, and on stage, before being propelled to international stardom when he put on the claws and made himself invincible in the Fox Studio franchise.
Though he owes a lot to his role in the superhero film franchise, Jackman’s first love will always be the musical. The actor has returned to it in multiple films and has also toured on stage with revivals of The Music Man. However, his career may have taken a completely different turn had he not rejected a role in Chicago due to him not being convinced with one line in the movie musical.
Hugh Jackman’s Love For Musicals
Hugh Jackman may be known for his ultra-masculine role of the nonchalant and irreverent superhero Logan a.k.a Wolverine, but he has mentioned multiple times his love for theater and the musical. Jackman began his career on stage and gained notoriety for his role in the Royal National Theater’s production of Oklahoma. He won the Olivier Award for his performance.
After Jackman had his Hollywood breakthrough with X-Men, he returned to his musical routes where performed in the Broadway musical The Boy from Oz, for which he won a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award. Jackman more recently toured with a production of the musical The Music Man, which was incidentally the first role he ever auditioned for in school.
Hugh Jackman expressed his love for theater and musicals in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning,
“People always say, ‘What do you prefer, the theater or movies?’ And I say, ‘I love them both. But if you had to give me one, it would be the theater. What better job to have in the world than to allow people to come and just put your troubles aside for a second – and let’s go on a little adventure?”
In another interview, with Today, he mentioned that he had learned the entire play by heart including the lines of other parts when he was a kid as he geared up to audition for the musical in his school production. However, he revealed that he did not get the main part but he was finally vindicated when he returned to star in the production years later.
Hugh Jackman Rejected A Role in Chicago As He Felt Too Young For The Role
Hugh Jackman’s role as Wolverine has not stopped him from exploring his musical roots. He played the acclaimed role of Jean Valjean in Tom Hooper’s epic period musical film Les Miserables. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his role and was also nominated for a Best Actor Oscar.
Jackman also starred in The Greatest Showman, a musical about renowned circus trainer PT Barnaum, which saw him being nominated for a Golden Globe again. Though he does not regret turning down Hooper’s next musical film, the disastrous Cats, he does regret one role that he turned down early in his career.
Hugh Jackman revealed to OK Magazine (via Irish Independent) that he was offered the role of Billy Flynn in the musical adaptation of Chicago. The actor mentioned that he turned it down as he felt that he was too young for the role at the time. He said,
“I thought I was too young as there was one line when he said ‘I’ve seen it all, kid’. A year later it went on to win all the Oscars and I remember thinking that perhaps a little bit of make-up could have worked.”
The role of Flynn went on to be played by Richard Gere, who seemed to be perfect for the role. The film went on to win many Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress for Catherine Zeta-Jones, Best Art Direction, and more. The film was credited to have revived an interest in movie musicals.
