Hugh Jackman: “For me, it was time to stop playing Wolverine” – Gala

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On the occasion of his coming to France for the promotion of The Greatest Showman, Hugh Jackman has given a long interview to Gala. His preparation, his role as P. T. Barnum, his decision to stop playing Wolverine… He tells us everything!

Meet an actor of this caliber, and as nice as it is quite rare. With Hugh Jackman, we see immediately that we are dealing with a gentleman. Accessible, open to all questions – even the most intimate, on his marriage with Deborra-Lee Furness – the one who embodies the inventor of the modern circus and show business in The Greatest Showman, in cinemas this Wednesday, January 24, does the job. With the smile!

Gala: You’ve mentioned many parallels between your life and the life of P. T. Barnum that you play. What are they?

Hugh Jackman: The first item that we have in common is our passion for our profession, which does not prevent us to be devoted to our family. On the other hand, I would say that I take risks like him, even if he is otherwise more determined than me! When I started, my father said to me, “I’m worried about you, I’m afraid you don’t have the leather thick enough”. Barnum, him, a.

Gala: With the success, have you always been so scared to fail that at the beginning of your career ?

H. J. : A little less happily. But I have a friend who has offered me a photo of tightrope walker, who, according to him, I had a lot in common. When one is on the tightrope, no matter the experience that we have, we should cope with the distance, the height, but the fall can always happen. Today, I’m afraid I don’t do the things that I am passionate about. I can take the failure, but only if I really believed in what I was doing.

Gala: What would you have done if you hadn’t succeeded as an actor?

H. J. : I had an idea in my head when I finished the course in dramatic art at the age of 26. I had done all the occupations you can imagine: worked in gas stations, restaurants, 7/11… And I realized that my bosses had invested time in their business. They slept on the spot, he thought only of their shop, because it takes 5 years for the company starts to operate. So, I decided to give myself this time me also. 5 years to write letters, to go everywhere, to make sure that my name is a little-known. If at 31 years old, I still had not pierced, then I would have dropped out. Perhaps I would have done the same job as you because I have a journalism degree.

“I discovered my true voice, not the one I had by copying other singers. “

Gala: How much preparation time a need for your role in The Greatest Showman?

H. J. : all In all, it took us seven years to develop this project with the producer. Then we organised four workshops of two weeks, a bit like the shows of Broadway. Then we rehearsed for ten weeks with ten hours of dance a day! By the way, I’ve taken a singing teacher because the composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (those to whom we owe the title winning City of stars in the original soundtrack of The to The Land editor’s note) wanted that I have a voice more pop. I had been a way to sing it very classical. This prof has done a superb job on me because it has helped me to find my see real one, not the one that I had adopted in copying the other.

Gala : Have you had to make a particular training?

H. J. : I was well prepared physically because I was coming out of Wolverine. And action movies, it’s a lot of choreography, flexibility. For the first time in 17 years all I have to do now, more as me lead because I know that I will not re-enlist not for Wolverine. So I am no longer a fun sport, cycling, squash, tennis, I also swim. And I do dance twice a week. For the fun of it!

Gala: Do you not have a blank at the idea of leaving the character of Wolverine that has given you such popularity?

H. J. : It was the right time. I feel like when one goes to a great evening, that you are in the taxi back at 3 am in the morning and you say, “that was awesome”. But you are happy to be back. And the next morning, you say: “I have done well to go at this time”. This is how I feel compared to Wolverine.

Gala : You are talking about The Greatest Showman, who preaches equality, and the acceptance of difference, as a film which is in contrast with the America of Trump…

H. J.: That is in contrast with all the companies: there is a decline in people’s general on themselves. They would like to do as if other countries did not exist. But it is finished! Globalization, the economy, transportation, everything is open so quickly that people are afraid. But you can’t go back. Then you have to stop holding of such discourses of rear-guard.

Photo credits : © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox FIlm Corp. All Rights Reserved.

Hugh Jackman

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