Hugh Jackman Movies
A star in his native Australia thanks to his work on television and in musical theatre, actor Hugh Jackman became known to American audiences through his role as Logan/Wolverine in Bryan Singer's lavish adaptation of the popular Marvel comic X-Men (2000).Born of English parentage in Sydney on October 12, 1968, Jackman was raised as the youngest of five children. After earning a communications degree as a journalism major from Sydney's University of Technology, he attended the Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts, where he studied drama. The fledgling actor got his first big break immediately after graduation, when he was offered a starring role on the popular TV series Corelli; his casting proved to be doubly serendipitous, as it provided him with an introduction to his future wife, actress Deborra-Lee Furness, with whom he would have a son.
Jackman starred in a number of other TV series -- and also began to earn recognition for his work on the stage in such productions as Beauty and the Beast, Sunset Boulevard, and Trevor Nunn's acclaimed Royal National Theatre production of Oklahoma!, the latter of which featured the actor in an Olivier-nominated performance as Curly McLain. In 1999, a year after being nominated for the Olivier, Jackman was again honored, this time with a Best Actor nomination from the Australian Film Institute for his portrayal of a man estranged from his brother in the urban drama Erskineville Kings. The actor's winning streak continued when he was hired to replace Dougray Scott as Wolverine in Bryan Singer's high-profile adaptation of X-Men. The film, whose cast also included Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Anna Paquin, James Marsden, and Halle Berry, opened to strong reviews and box-office to become one of the biggest hits of the summer. Jackman's rising international popularity was reflected by his casting in Tony Goldwyn's Someone Like You, a romantic comedy also starring Ashley Judd and Greg Kinnear. Jackman was hard to ignore in 2001, appearing just a few short months later in John Travolta's latest comback, Swordfish.
2003 saw the return of the X-Men and, with them, Jackman's Wolverine in X2: X-Men United, a film that not only repeated the first film's financial success, but was considered by many to be the rare sequel that outdoes its predecessor. Sticking with the action genre, Jackman could next be seen in the title role of the 2004 ultra-big-budget film Van Helsing. Although Van Helsing was met with critical disdain, and underperformed at the box office, Jackman rebounded by earning rave reviews as the lead in the Broadway musical The Boy From Oz. That same year he hosted the annual Tony awards, again to great acclaim.
Fans had numerous opportunities to see Jackman on the big screen in 2006. He took a humorous turn that summer as a possible serial killer in Woody Allen's comedy Scoop, and in fall he starred opposite Oscar winner Rachel Weisz in the stylish The Fountain as a man who searches through three different time periods concurrently, on a single spiritual journey. That same autumn, Jackman could also be seen in the dark fantasy The Prestige, playing a turn of the century magician who some speculate performs real magic, and before winter, audiences were hearing his vocal work in a pair of animated films, Flushed Away and Happy Feet. 2006 also proved to be the year Jackman announced he would produce and star in a big-screen adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel.
~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
One of the most popular superhero teams in comic book history finally comes to the screen in this big-budget adaptation of the long-running Marvel Comics series. Psychic Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) leads a school of skilled mutants called X-Men, a peacekeeping force to safeguard the world against a race of genetically mutated humans known as Homo Sapiens Superior. However, Magneto (Ian McKellen), a mutant with a powerful magnetic charge, has also begun to organize a team to strike first against what he believes to be a threat from humanity. When he kidnaps Rogue (Anna Paquin) from the X-Men's compound, Xavier and his forces must rescue her, even as they continue to vie with Magneto for the fearsomely strong mutant battler Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). Both Xavier and Magneto also have to contend with Senator Kelly (Bruce Davison), a heartless political leader who wants a final solution against mutants on both sides. Fighting for the forces of virtue with the X-Men are Famke Janssen as Jean Grey, Halle Berry as Storm, and James Marsden as Cyclops; Rebecca Romjin-Stamos as Mystique, Ray Park as the Toad, and Tyler Mane as Sabretooth are the minions of Magneto. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, (more)
- 1999
- NR
Unrequited love and mistaken identity are the lynchpins of this romantic comedy from Australia. Ruby Vale (Claudia Karvan) is a pretty but no-nonsense young woman who lives in a small village in the Aussie outback, where she runs the only diner in town. She's engaged to marry Hamish (Andrew S. Gilbert), who is pleasant but dull, and spends much of her free time with her good friend Jack (Hugh Jackman). Jack secretly aspires to be a writer and has in fact published a novel, but since the book is a frothy paperback romance, to avoid embarrassment he decided not to use his own name and instead credited Ruby Vale as the author. The book becomes a best seller and suddenly Ruby is forced to pose as the writer of a book she hasn't even read, and when the publisher flies her to Sydney to discuss her next project, confusion is the result. Leading lady Claudia Karvan was formerly a popular child actress in her native Australia, while her co-star Hugh Jackman makes his screen debut after establishing himself in musical theater, starring down under in major productions of Beauty and the Beast and Sunset Boulevard. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claudia Karvan, Hugh Jackman, (more)
Before hitting it big stateside in 2000's X-Men, Hugh Jackman impressed London audiences with his performance as Curly in director Trevor Nunn's wildly successful revival of Oklahoma!, a live performance of which was captured for this television and video broadcast. Shot at the Royal National Theater, the performance tells the time-tested tale of Laurey (Josefina Gabrielle) and her struggles to resist the advances of the brutish Jud (Shuler Hensley) in favor of the gentle Curly (Jackman). All of the musical's much-loved tunes are here, including "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'," "Surrey With the Fringe on Top," and the title song. Oklahoma! was broadcast on PBS in November 2003, coinciding with its U.S. video release. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hugh Jackman, Josefina Gabrielle, (more)
- 1999
Australian director Alan White creates this bleak but gorgeously photographed urban drama about life in Sydney's seedy inner suburbs. Hoping to escape his dad's drunken and abusive behavior, Barky runs away from home to cut cane in the north of the country. Two years later, he returns to his down-and-out hometown to attend the funeral of his father and to make amends with his brother Wace, with whom he had a falling-out. As he meets up with old friends and his ex-girlfriend Lanny, Barky reveals more and more about the enigmatic workings of his mind and the grim circumstances of his upbringing. Shot on a very low budget, the film nonetheless creates a compelling portrait of this gritty, oppressive land. Erskineville Kings was screened at the 1999 Montreal Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hugh Jackman, Anik Chooney, (more)
Steve Jordell's thriller Profile of a Serial Killer stars Rebecca Gibney as a forensic psychologist who must stop a serial killer with the help of a police detective played by Hugh Jackman. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rebecca Gibney
- 1997
Rebecca Gibney starred as forensic psychiatrist Jane Halifax in this off-and-on Australian drama series. Because of her frequent delvings into the "dark side" of humanity, Jane was unable to place full trust in anyone, least of all the police officials for whom she worked. Thus, whenever involved in a particularly disturbing murder case, she felt the need to consult an analyst, Marion Walters (Catherine Wilkin). Created by Roger Simpson, Halifax F.P. was seen in Australia from 1997 to 2001, averaging four two-hour episodes per season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rebecca Gibney, Shane Feeney-Connor, (more)
