Hugh Jackman

by Anthony Bunko

  But the actor inside him took over and in a true ‘the show must go on’ moment, he continued singing. Meanwhile, down below, nature took its course. As he finished the song, he immediately turned upstage, looking down so that no one could see anything. When he didn’t notice a wet spot on his red tights, he thought they must be waterproof.

  ‘I turn upstage. I look down, nothing, absolutely nothing. Of course, I realise these tights are a little bit thick, so I thought, maybe they’re like a wetsuit. I thought, I’m gonna end up with a bootful of piss but at least I’m not gonna be humiliated.’

  With a cavalier attitude, he carried on the scene. He walked offstage, relieved, only to spot his dresser with a look of sheer horror on her face. Then he looked down – a wet spot had spread right across his groin and thighs. He quickly changed and carried on but it took a long time for him to live down the accident with the rest of the cast and crew.

  Somehow, he managed to survive all the humiliation and the ‘piss-taking’ by the crew to go on and establish himself as an actor who truly could sing. Director Richard Wherrett described him as a 6ft 3in charismatic handsome actor who had a lot going for him in the first place: ‘He’s a very talented actor who also just happens to have a great singing voice and a great presence on stage.’

  Beauty and the Beast was a massive hit and the role propelled him onto his next big stage adventure, a colossal musical production of Sunset Boulevard from October 1996 to June 1997.

  Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Australian production of Sunset Boulevard was directed by esteemed theatre stalwart Trevor Nunn from an adaption of the 1950s film version by Billy Wilder, which starred William Holden in the original title role. It saw Hugh as Joe Gillis, a young screenwriter hired by ageing silent star Norma Desmond (played by Debra Byrne) to resurrect her career. In the production their relationship leads to manipulation, madness and death.

  When first asked to audition for Sunset Boulevard, Hugh had refused because he wanted to move away from musicals for a while after Beauty and the Beast: ‘It’s a medium that I don’t believe should be, but is treated as the poorer cousin in the art world,’ he said. But all his reservations disappeared when he met director Trevor Nunn, considered one of the best in the world.

  The rehearsals were tough. During the first session, Hugh was about to sing when he heard a loud cry from the back of the theatre. ‘Stop!’ He did as he was told. Trevor Nunn ran up on stage towards him and said, ‘Now listen, how many seats are out there?’

  ‘It’s about 200,’ Hugh replied.

  Nunn continued: ‘Well, there are 200 people out there who hate you! They hate you! You’ve got three minutes to convince them otherwise or you will lose them.’ He pointed to the pit and the music started up again.

  Hugh stood there with the rest of the cast all staring at him. Suddenly he felt a rush of nerves and a surge of energy. He belted out the number, his voice reverberating around the empty theatre. It was exactly the response that the director had been hoping for. After that, he never looked back and quite easily made the transition from his larger-than-life character in Beauty and the Beast to the cynical Joe Gillis.

  It was the year and the performance that singled him out as the most promising new talent in musical theatre, with two major awards for his role. The variety industry’s peer-voted Mo Awards and the Variety Club Hearts Awards both voted him Musical Theatre Performer of the Year.

  Much later in life, Hugh went on record as saying that if he could pick the top ten things he had done in his career so far, nine of them would have been on the stage in the theatre. Trevor Nunn became a big fan and described him as a person open to every possibility, an actor who could convert ideas into action instantly: ‘The astonishing thing is that he can sing. He can sing magically and he can dance, so you are looking at a diversity of talent that is amazingly rare.’

  After the run ended, Hugh went back to TV and appeared in an episode of Halifax f.p, another police drama show, where he played detective Eric Ringer, investigating a series of multiple murders at a service station. His career then changed course again for a while as his relaxed and natural presence led him to try his hand as a television host on a fashion show called In Fashion in 1997. He hosted the Australian Film Institute Awards in the same year.

  Sunset Boulevard had raised Hugh to a new level, however, and he was speechless when asked to sing the Australian National Anthem before 100,000 rugby fans at the Bledisloe Cup match between Australia and their old enemy, New Zealand, at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1998. He was so nervous, and yet extremely honoured to be part of the whole occasion. Rugby had been his first sporting love and after singing the anthem, he commented that he was so pumped up that he wanted to put on the gold shirt of his homeland team and run out to face up to the infamous men in the black from across the Tasman Sea.

  Next came more TV work with guest lead role appearances in some of Australia’s most popular dramas. Blue Heelers, a weekly police drama based on a fictional bush town called Mount Thomas, was the most popular local production on television at the time. Hugh played Brady Jackson in the episode ‘Just Deserts’.

  He then moved on to appear in five episodes of the fourth season of The Man from Snowy River (which was called Snowy River in the USA and The McGregor Saga in the UK), based on Banjo Paterson’s poem. It was a hugely popular show following the trials and tribulations of a Western Australian family in the late 1800s. Hugh played the character of Duncan Jones, who shows up while his ship is in dry dock to steal the hearts of teenager Danni McGregor and Rob McGregor’s sweetheart Montana. Fortunately for Jones, his childhood friend, Rob (played by Guy Pearce) was away, otherwise the world would surely have been treated to a fight between two future Hollywood stars.

  But it wasn’t all plain sailing. Hugh did have his critics, including one of his own countrymen, a veteran tabloid reporter, who pronounced him ‘too good-looking to be taken seriously’. However, this wasn’t going to deter him: he was on a roll and popped up as a guest artist at many events. Hugh did the Christmas Carols in Sydney, Melbourne and Wagga Wagga, as well as a Melbourne Midsumma Festival Cabaret production called Summa Cabaret. He also sang at the Melbourne Cup and the Hopman Cup, and his voice helped bring in the Chinese New Year, as well as singing at the new model Holden sedan launch at Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast. Hugh was quickly becoming the man for all occasions.

  Then it was back to treading the boards, but this time to achieve a childhood ambition. Following the success of Sunset Boulevard, Hugh was keen to continue his working relationship with the vastly experienced Trevor Nunn, so he wrote to him asking if they might meet up when he and Deborra-Lee arrived in London on holiday in late 1997. Hugh had heard that Nunn was staging a production of the musical Oklahoma! and he badly wanted a part in it. There was no reply from the director but Hugh persisted, phoning Nunn’s office when he arrived in the capital. He was told that although Nunn was off on holiday the next day, he would see Hugh in the morning and that he should bring along a song and a Shakespeare monologue. He hadn’t done Shakespeare since drama school, so Hugh raced to a bookshop, snapped up a Shakespeare play and retired to the Regent’s Park Hotel, where Deborra-Lee put him through his paces for four hours.

  What he didn’t know was Trevor Nunn had been so impressed while working with him in Australia that he wanted Hugh for the lead role of Curly McLain in Oklahoma!, the part which Gordon MacRae had played in the screen version. But it was up to the Australian to prove himself to Nunn’s demanding colleagues at the National Theatre in London.

  The Shakespeare monologue he had selected went well, but it was when he sang ‘Oh What a Beautiful Morning’ and the entire selection panel sang along with him as though they were in a German beer hall that he knew he was in with a shout.

  Although the panel had lined up eight more people to see, Nunn offered him the role on the spot. It was like a dream come true for the boy from Sydney.

  The rest of the cast had already
been selected and included such illustrious artists as Maureen Lipman, Jimmy Johnston, Josefina Gabrielle, Shuler Hensley, Vicki Simon and Peter Polycarpou. The original Oklahoma! from 1943 is still classed as a revolutionary musical in terms of storytelling and broke numerous box office records on its initial opening. It’s also regarded as one of the best musicals with some of the finest songs ever written. Rodgers and Hammerstein were renowned for crafting outstanding songs with a perfect blend of intelligence and wit to transport their audiences into another world. Those who had seen the original production of Oklahoma! were fearful of seeing the new production because they didn’t want to tarnish any of their memories of just how good it had been. Fortunately, because of Nunn’s ability to direct and his knack of giving a fantastic feeling of freedom to all the actors, the latest version proved equally successful, and instantly sold out for the opening night.

  ‘The first five weeks of rehearsals we didn’t sing a note,’ Hugh recalled. ‘Trevor made us research everything. He would hang up letters and books and give us copies of the movie to watch. He was determined for us to find what made the musical such a revolution. We all immersed ourselves in all the stuff for weeks. He said “You think of Oklahoma, you think of people singing”, but then he had us do every lyric of every song as dialogue, which when you do “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” it is really tough, because everything’s just repeated.’ And that’s why Hugh loved working with Nunn: no stone was left unturned – he was a true professional with bizarre but unique techniques to get the best out of his actors.

  As with most productions of this size, Oklahoma! had its fair share of hiccups. There was a scene in the show where a ballerina falls asleep and dreams of dancing with Curly, Hugh’s character. On the opening night at the Olivier Theatre in 1998 Hugh was terrified, knowing his limitations when it came to ballet and also aware that Mary Rodgers and guests from the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization were in the audience. Hugh was supposed to lift the girl, who was an unbelievable dancer, above his head, spin her round and end up with her draped like a swan around his shoulders. But he was so pumped up with adrenaline that as he lifted her she went straight over his back and landed hard on the stage. She was wearing a tutu and her legs were sprawled in the air – not a good look for even the most graceful ballerina! Hugh turned and said, ‘Oh shit, sorry,’ which boomed out of the microphone to the great amusement of the audience. He made sure it never happened again.

  With his strong and energetic performances, Hugh was an instant success. Described by one reviewer as ‘virile and melodious’, he was proclaimed one of the most promising newcomers to musical theatre. He was nominated for an Olivier Award, but just missed out; he also missed out on a trip to accompany the production on Broadway because at that time, the rules demanded that an American should take the lead role. Jackman understood and was philosophical about it, saying that him playing the Oklahoma! lead role in America would be, ‘Like having an American do Crocodile Dundee.’ Yet it didn’t concern him that much because he had already set down his marker.

  Oklahoma! was more than just a hit with the general public; it became the must-see show for members of the Royal Family in Britain. Every Royal came, with Princess Margaret seeing it nine times and the Queen twice. Hugh was told by the Queen Mother that her daughter, Elizabeth, had seen the original show with Prince Philip when the couple were courting. There was even a rumour that Prince Philip used to sing the song ‘People Will Say We’re in Love’ to Elizabeth when they were alone. The Queen Mother allegedly quipped that she thought Hugh was a much better singer then her son-in-law!

  The opportunity also allowed him the opportunity to meet a number of other famous people, although he missed out on the chance to meet former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who made a special trip to see the show. In fact, the Australian actor had been struck down with a migraine and spent most of the performance rushing off-stage to be sick. The illness also meant the star was confined to the bathroom when he was supposed to be meeting the then Labour Party chief afterwards. ‘I remember having a migraine when Tony Blair came to see Oklahoma! I was going into the wings and throwing up whenever I was off-stage. Afterwards, Tony Blair came backstage to meet the cast, and of course I was throwing up.’

  Bravely, or maybe foolishly, Hugh invited some mates who were over from Australia on their travels to see the show. He made them promise not to make him laugh or shout out. All the way through the performance he was waiting for them to pipe up and heckle him, so he was surprised when they said nothing. In fact, his performance blew them away. They had been so completely captivated that one friend later said, ‘I really didn’t realise that was our mate up on the stage. He was a different person, wonderful.’

  The musical then transferred to the Lyceum Theatre in London’s West End, where Oklahoma! had a six-month run.

  During his stint in the stage musical Oklahoma! Hugh had some time off to travel back to his homeland and the far outback in Queensland, where he pulled on a pair of khaki shorts and dusty boots to star in his first major film, Anthony Bowman’s romantic comedy, Paperback Hero. Jackman plays Jack Willis, an Australian outback trucker, who in his spare time pens a romantic novel that he submits to a Sydney publisher. Unwilling to give over his masculine reputation and be known as a romantic author, Jack adopts the name of his friend, tomboy crop-duster Ruby Vale, as his pseudonym. When both Ruby and Jack, posing as her manager, are taken on a publicity tour to promote the book, romance blossoms.

  Writer/director Anthony Bowman got the original idea for Paperback Hero when he was in the US and he read a piece about a Texan truck driver who had written romantic fiction under an assumed name. Hugh was impressed with his latest director’s very enthusiastic and spontaneous style and his never-ending good mood, even when things weren’t going to script or to plan.

  The role was perfectly suited for the open and unpretentious actor, and it earned him even more acclaim and exposed him to an international art-house audience. It also gave him the opportunity to sing ‘Crying’ by Roy Orbison.

  Talking about his role as Jack, Hugh commented that he was attracted to the script by its lovely pace and energy: ‘It’s a story of Jack eventually coming to terms with what he really is, his feelings and emotions. It’s a very Australian thing, and that’s what I connected with. He has a great sense of humour, and he’s very comfortable with who he is.’ Hugh enjoyed making the film and was pleased with the outcome, believing it to be a good showcase in terms of his screen acting.

  Claudia Karvan played the other leading role, Ruby. Hugh didn’t know her personally before working with her, but he admitted to being a big fan and to have watched her in the movie, The Big Steal, four times.

  Shooting was tough and very hot work. The temperatures in the town of St George, Queensland, where they were filming, frequently soared to above 40°C. Claudia once fainted because of the heat, and to make matters worse, the air-conditioning in the hotel where they were staying was often broken.

  Nevertheless the reviews were good, and especially kind to Jackman. Comments like, ‘[He] oozes natural charm and charisma’ and ‘His voice is terrific’ abounded. Paperback Hero didn’t rock the world of cinema, but it was a diverting and amusing way to spend an afternoon on the sofa with a box of chocolates. For the ladies there was the added pleasure of watching a young Hugh Jackman in shorts and a vest.

  It was his performance in Paperback Hero and the reviews of Oklahoma! that led to him signing with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in the US, a move that most actors would have given their right arm to achieve.

  After the film was in the can, Hugh squeezed in another Royal appointment and performed at the Royal Command Charity Performance in London, before returning to continue in the role of Curly in the West End. It was another example how this relatively young man from Australia was fast becoming a superstar. As he himself said, ‘It was really weird to be sitting in the Queensland outback, and then to sing in front of the Queen a few weeks
later.’

  On his return to Australia after the stage show in London had finished, Hugh moved onto his next film role in a movie titled Erskineville Kings. This was actually filmed after Paperback Hero, but it was released first, in 1999, and is thus often thought of as his first movie role.

  Erskineville Kings was written by Marty Denniss who, incidentally, was one of Hugh’s good friends from drama school. Denniss was considered by many at the school to be quite brilliant but he was also slightly argumentative. The school let him go after his first year. It turned out that during his stint, Marty had been writing plays and he had turned one of them into the screenplay for Erskineville Kings.

  The drama was about two brothers reunited by their father’s death after years apart. Australian director Alan White created a very bleak, but gorgeously photographed urban drama about life in Sydney’s seedy inner suburbs. Hoping to escape his father’s drunken and abusive behaviour, Barky (played by Denniss) 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 his father’s funeral and to make amends with his brother Wace (Hugh Jackman’s character), 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 a gritty, oppressive land. The movie was filmed in the streets of Newtown and Erskineville in Sydney and the title of the movie refers to the King’s Hotel, a fictional hotel in which most of the action takes place. It was screened at the 1999 Montreal Film Festival and launched to international buyers at the American Film Market prior to an Australian release later in the year.