"LET`S make this simple: The show`s plus is its superstar. The show`s minus is
the show itself But it`s Jackman - a better performer than Allen himself ever
was - who is sensational. He exactly catches Allen`s playful, cheerful, ambiguous
sexuality while jumping and sliding on, over and around pianos. He can start rehearsing
his Tony acceptance speech any time this morning.
"Jackman seems on his way to leading-man status, after just two films (`X-Men`
was the other). Handsome and convincing here as a put-upon single father, he also
has the moves and the voice to make a career for himself." -Movies101.com
Kate & Leopold
"Jackman, however, is the real triumph of the film. The effortless elegance and
magnetic warmth he displays hasn`t been seen since the glory days of such legendary
charmers as Robert Donat and Leslie Howard in their `30s prime. In nearly any other
actor`s hands, Leopold`s endless superiority, his arcane dialect and civilizing
lessons would make one`s flesh crawl. However, Jackman`s suave authority and boundless
display of heart, especially when informing the cynically conformist Charlie on
the higher art of courtship, make Leopold the most appealing alien since E.T. In
his hands, Leopold could well become a highly welcome, beneficial role model to
a generation of emotion-suppressing, gym/sports/money-babe-obsessed American men."
-Film Journal International
X2: X-Men United
"Jackman`s Wolverine effortlessly exudes a machismo so primal and so overwhelming
that something akin to pheromones jump right off the screen. In addition to animal
magnetism, Jackman`s scenes with Famke Janssen as Grey are achingly poignant, which
is an accomplishment over and above what it seems when you consider the tufted pompadour
and those spikes that shoot from his hands." -Killer Movie Reviews
Read more critic reviews: Swordfish / Kate & Leopold
/ X2: X-Men United / The Boy From Oz
- X-Men -
"There was one fight scene with Rebecca Romijn-Stamos where she throws this chain
at me and I am supposed to catch it. I was holding onto it and one of my claws went
straight into my forehead. "I said to Rebecca, `I think we should do that shot again,`
and she was like, `well maybe not because you have blood all over your head.` It
was scary at points."
Living Next to Denial
When asked "Were you more in touch with your macho side while you were filming?",
Hugh answered, " I’m an actor who believes we all have triggers to any stage of
emotion. It’s not always easy to find but it’s still there. I also took to taking
a cold shower every morning because Toronto cold water is like ice, so it was a
physical reminder every day of what it was like to be on the verge of punching someone’s
head in and I’d start the day like that".
"Jackman was a last-minute addition to the X-Men cast. Dougray Scott was originally
cast as Wolverine, but M:I-2 required two extra months of shooting According
to the comic books, Wolverine stands 5-feet-3-inches in height. Actor Hugh Jackman,
who plays Wolverine, stands a whole foot taller than his character."
"Hugh Jackman nearly revealed more than he intended to co-star Ashley Judd on
the set of their latest movie, when an underwear scene became a little too intimate."
Hugh, Jackman of all trades
"But he confesses that despite his happy marriage, he had no difficulty relating
to the role of the womanizing Eddie in Someone Like You. `I was a single
guy for a number of years, so I drew a little on that. I had a couple of other people
heavily in mind, very good friends of mine. One of them saw the movie and told me
how much he loved the character, but I didn`t want to admit that I`d modeled it
on him.`"
John Travolta`s well-toned new look is all thanks to Swordfish co-star Hugh Jackman`s
fitness trainer Steve May.
Huge Jackman
Jackman happily admits that the film "definitely does bring out the boy in me"
Never shy of taking up a challenge, Jackman added stunt driving to his list
of "how to prepare for a movie like this".
Hugh Jackman: The Naked Truth
"I never looked below the eye," he tells TV Guide Online of their revealing poolside
scene. "To be honest, I was probably more scared than she was more embarrassed
than she was."
Halle Berry says, "He`s one of the kindest men I`ve ever met. I was very nervous
and Hugh was more concerned about me that I was. He wasn`t just sitting around waiting
for me to take off my shirt. He was the one who called for the set to be closed
and he told a guy who didn`t need to be there to beat it. I had to shoot that scene
three times, and thanks to Hugh it wasn`t stressful."
When asked if it was difficult to portray a character who moves between centuries,
Hugh answered, "Yeah, it was difficult. I did a lot of research. I went to England
and had etiquette coaching, horse riding lessons, yoga, voice coaching, did the
whole thing." Hugh also says, "It was probably one of the most fun films I`ve worked
on. It was such a light atmosphere and Jim Mangold, who had never done a romantic
comedy, seemed liked he`d done millions of them before. Even Meg said to me that
she`d never felt so relaxed doing a movie. He was really confident, and Meg was
just a gem."
"The downside of playing a character like Leopold is that it can raise your wife`s
expectations, says Jackman, who is married to Australian actress Deborra-Lee Furness She
said, `Why don`t you bring these characters home with you?` I said, `What, Wolverine?`
She goes, `No, no, no, leave him. Just bring home this guy.`"
The 35-year-old hunk says, "I broke an extra`s hand on this thing. I was getting
lifted and propelled and couldn`t stop. I put my hand out and felt this guy crumple
in front of me. I found out later he`d been running away. He thought I was going
to fire him - for getting in the star`s way."
On Hugh`s Hair
"It is real, but it is not all mine. Although by now, I think my hair`s got to
be pretty long. Sometimes the crew mentions I look a little like the fourth Charlie`s
Angel, but "
On Weapons & Stunts
"You know, that`s not always easy. I think I`m up to 23 instruments I`m carrying.
I feel like a watch salesman on 42nd Street at the moment, you know. But seriously,
physically it`s quite demanding. I was just doing some stunts in Prague and I was
inside a six-horse coach. Because of what`s happened, I`ve been thrown out and I
land in between two of the horses. So the coach is right there, they`ve got two
horses here, and there`s four horses right behind my head. And I`m lying on a little
tray. It`s like a dinner tray, which is supporting my back. Apart from that, I`m
holding on and my legs are scraping on the ground. After about three takes, I`m
thinking, `This is interesting.` The horses couldn`t come in on me like that, but
if anything happened to the anyway."
On the Kids
"[Kate Beckinsale] is great fun to work with, and of course she`s got a little
kid and I`ve got a little kid and they`re married. They`ve declared themselves married.
My boy is three, and her girl is four and they`re together. I don`t know how long
it will last but know, they`re got it all worked out."