The two became great friends, even to the point where Meg felt inclined to help him out of a very personal dilemma one night. ‘I was working on the night of my fifth wedding anniversary and so Meg phoned my wife and took her out to dinner instead of me. My leading lady took my wife out for my wedding anniversary! Kind of odd.’
As well as taking etiquette lessons, he also studied ballroom dancing and trained to ride a horse for Kate & Leopold. It was the latter that made him look a bit of a fool in front of his leading lady. During filming, he had given her the impression he could ride. On the day they were going to shoot Meg on the back of the horse that Hugh was riding, the director started by shooting a scene where Hugh was riding towards her on his own. ‘So Meg came on the set to watch. First take, I went straight past, through the shot, everything was fine except the horse decided to put on the brakes because it saw a light and I went straight over the top, landing on my arse. And, of course, it hurt like hell, but the first thing I did was look up and there was Meg shaking her head and going, “Oh no! I’m getting on that horse in two hours with this guy.”’
A red-faced Hugh knew deep down that he needed to get straight back on the horse or Meg would never ride with him. And so he did, and luckily Meg joined him, which he believed was a truly heroic thing to do after watching him fall off so ungracefully. During one scene, they had to gallop through Central Park. Both were very nervous because they thought they were going to crash into all the filmmaking instruments and crew around them. They held on for dear life. When Hugh dismounted, he joked that he needed a few days off to recover because he felt like he had suffered three broken ribs from Meg holding on so tightly.
Later on that afternoon, the two were asked to rock backwards and forwards on a punchbag suspended on ropes to simulate a shot of them on horseback riding through a stack of trees. Hugh thought that this would turn out to be the most ridiculous scene ever, but was pleasantly surprised when he saw it on film: ‘But now, if you watch the movie back that looks real and the one that was real looked fake.’
With Meg being so easy to work with and Jim Mangold, the director, making the atmosphere so enjoyable, Hugh commented that Kate & Leopold was probably one of the most fun films that he had ever worked on. And it seemed to pay off for the actor because his charming English manner and upright moral stance created the perfect romantic lead actor. For his performance, he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture.
Another huge bonus for Hugh, and everyone else involved with the movie, was that singing superstar Sting wrote the title song, ‘Until’. Sting had seen an unedited version of the film and liked it. ‘I thought it was romantic, and very, very funny,’ he remarked. ‘It was just what I needed to watch at the time. There were still all kinds of mayhem going on in the world. So, I thought this film was a perfect antidote and it’s very easy to get inspired to write a song in a similar vein.’ The song was nominated and won many awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Song and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Song in a Film.
The reviews were good, with some calling it a perfect date movie and others saying that even though it was strictly a ‘chick flick’, it was one that men could relate to. Hugh reckoned that personally he learned a lot from playing the character of Leopold. It taught him to try and do everything with grace and presence, and to always try to do something romantic and unpredictable for the woman he loved. ‘Unfortunately, I could become the most hated guy in films if the characters I play are so romantic, and while watching the movie a girl said to her date, “Why don’t you do things like that for me?” So my advice to any bloke is that before you go and see the movie, do something unexpected for her. Then, when you watch the movie, she’ll turn to you and say, “You’re just like this guy.”’
All things considered, it turned out to be an eventful year for Hugh as far as films and playing alongside great actors and actresses went. ‘Deb and I often stop and go, “Oh my God!” It’s a bit weird when you walk in to do a rehearsal with John Travolta. Your heart skips a beat a little bit because you grow up with them a huge idol for you, then you get to meet them. It’s a little odd.’ He went on to further explain how unreal it all seemed. ‘Then while shooting Kate & Leopold, I was sitting watching dailies with one of the other actors and my character was about to come on at the end of the scene, so there I was one minute watching Meg do a scene then all of a sudden I got to walk on, and it was like one of those moments where I’m watching a Meg Ryan movie and all of a sudden I walk on! I could never have dreamed of all the wonderful things I’ve gotten to do and the people I’ve worked with, so I feel very blessed.’
When Kate & Leopold finished, Hugh went back to the gym to bulk up his muscles for the second instalment of X-Men. It was less yoga and etiquette lessons, and more Neanderthal grunting and sharpening of claws. Logan was about to return!
But not just yet. With everything Hugh had going on he still managed to fit in some other activities in 2002. He put on his tuxedo to be part of a large celebrity cast asked to present the 74th Annual Academy Awards broadcasted live from the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. Those presenting included Woody Allen, Halle Berry, Russell Crowe, Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington, Will Smith and a host of others. Although he had a small presenting role, Hugh admitted that it was the most nerve-racking moment of his life. He said of the experience, ‘I slept for about an hour and I had a little bit of sushi to come down. There’ll be a lot of drunken parties back home and people betting on the winner, and that’s usually what I’m doing, so getting up there in a suit and talking for a little bit is kind of bizarre.’ Yet it all went off very well. He was also a presenter on the 59th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
In June of the same year, Jackman briefly returned to the stage when he sang the role of Billy Bigelow, opposite Audra McDonald, in a special concert performance of Carousel at Carnegie Hall.
It was also in that same year that he made possibly one of his poorer decisions when he turned down the chance to play the role of Billy Flynn in the movie adaptation of the musical Chicago. The part eventually went to Richard Gere, and the movie went on to snatch six Academy Awards. Hugh maintained, and still does, that he was too young for that role: ‘You have some thirty-four-year-old guy up against Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renée Zellweger, and it becomes a different movie. At one point, Harvey was telling me they were thinking of Kevin Spacey, and I told him, “That’s exactly right. You should hire him.” Then I was in New York when the movie opened and the queue was around the block. I sat down and thought that I had probably made the biggest mistake. Yet I still honestly think that it was the right thing to do. I still think I was too young for that part.’
To finish off the year in style, he hosted the Christmas edition of Saturday Night Live with musical guest Mick Jagger. He had never seen a single show until the producers sent him tapes so that he could understand the format, but he revelled in the opportunity and played a series of sketches and different characters throughout the show, including a German male model and a doll designer, while singing several songs including a heartfelt rendition of ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’, backed up by the females in the cast. Hugh is terribly short-sighted and has extremely blurry vision when not wearing his contact lenses, so he actually had to memorise everything because he couldn’t read the cue cards.
The show finished with Hugh in a skit about what his Christmases were like in Australia, where a boxing kangaroo would visit each year, with Jackman’s dad, portrayed by Will Ferrell, failing to beat a kangaroo in a bout and the beast taking unfair advantage in a rather rude way. Eventually, the young Hugh and his sister wonder if their dad isn’t purposely letting the kangaroo win. ‘I got more reaction from Saturday Night Live than from any movie I’ve ever done. I mean, I had no idea how many people watched it. I didn’t grow up with Saturday Night Live but I did know all the comedians who came from there; it was one of the most fun weeks I’ve ever had. I’
m dying to go back there if they’ll have me.
‘The only problem was Will Ferrell. There were three skits that were so funny, and I ruined them because at the rehearsal I couldn’t get through them without laughing. Three of his skits got cut, which was such a shame. And during the Christmas kangaroo skit at the end, I couldn’t look at the monitor, which had me being sodomised by a kangaroo. It was out of control. I loved it. It was a real highlight and, as I said, I didn’t know how many people watched it. I’m glad I didn’t know.’
‘Hugh’s a stitch. He was funny and sweet and acerbic and hilarious in his role. When we first met, he was so prepared. I felt like a big dope, hanging out in rehearsal to cruise for snacks.’
Ashley Judd, Hugh’s co-star in Someone Like You
CHAPTER SEVEN
Here Comes their Sunshine
To people looking in, Hugh and Deborra-Lee appeared to have everything going for them: money, fame, happiness and the classic Hollywood lifestyle. But what most didn’t see or appreciate was the unhappiness behind the smiles; the heartache that prodded away at them behind closed doors.
The couple had tried for years to have a child of their own. Their original plan was to have two kids biologically and then adopt another one later. Hugh recalled how difficult it was for them: ‘It was unexpected. I got married in my mid-twenties, and before that it had been all about not getting pregnant. My wife is very headstrong; she’d gotten pretty much everything she wanted in life, except this.’
The emotional strain took its toll on both of them, but the couple were determined to do everything they possibly could to achieve their dream. They approached a specialist, who suggested trying IVF treatment. ‘I remember going to our doctor, who gave us the figures about childbirth through in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The chances reduced by 14 per cent each time you have a go. I hope Deb doesn’t mind my saying, but that was a tough, tough time. Physically, you go through a lot with IVF. I was giving Deb injections every day and hormonally she was all over the place. There’s anxiety. Your mind centres on when you’re going to do it. You become obsessive.’
It was around 1998 and Hugh was playing Curly in Oklahoma!, rehearsing all day and performing on stage each night, yet he still had to find time in his exhausting schedule for performing in a very different sort of way. ‘We’d been told by a naturopath that you’ve got to make love every day for a ten-day period. I never thought I’d get to the point where I was like, “Deb, can I have a break?”’
After three long years of near-misses and mental torture, Deborra-Lee decided that for the sake of their own sanity, enough was enough. ‘Well it’s not really a happy period. We were obviously upset when we didn’t get pregnant and had some miscarriages and we tried, but it must have been something in the water, or not in the water! We did the IVF and that didn’t work. We always wanted to have a child first and adopt a child. So it just sort of changed the plans a bit. And then when we started to consider adoption first, then it was like, what are we worried about, it’s no big deal.’
The moment they agreed to change direction and go down the adoption route, all the years of hurt and desire to give birth to their own children began to fade. They could finally see the light at the end of a very long tunnel. Or so they thought.
They weren’t aware of how difficult it was to adopt a child, especially in their homeland of Australia. It was a real struggle, even for a couple in their privileged position. It is hard to believe what they, and many other people, had to go through to adopt. They experienced first hand the miles and miles of red tape, and became completely overwhelmed by the hurdles and obstacles that got in their way. In the end they opted to adopt a child from the USA because the system was a lot more straightforward there.
The whole experience lit a spark in Deborra-Lee, which at first turned into a raging fire of anger and frustration. ‘The adoption laws in Australia are too restrictive. Of course, checks need to be made, but they had a very negative approach. It was like they were trying to discourage you. There are 130 million orphans in the world! Who is looking after them? If you are a citizen of the world, on some level they are all our responsibility. And if you have got parents who want to adopt and there are children who need a home, it seems like a no-brainer. There are not that many children in Australia who need adopting, so we looked internationally, and that is what is difficult.’
She eventually turned her outrage into something more positive and is now a vigorous advocate of the right to adopt, heading a campaign against what she sees as Australia’s ‘anti-adoption’ laws. She came across so many women who had been through the same struggles, and she knew she had to do something about it. Her crusade is to help couples with their own horror stories of futile attempts to make an unwanted child their own. ‘I’m fortunate,’ she said. ‘I now have two beautiful children and that’s why people come to me and say, “Deb can you help me?” I tell them it will be long, expensive and may not happen.’
The aim of the campaign is to put significant pressure on the government to simplify the process of overseas adoptions and speed up the adoption of needy orphans from Asia and Africa. Australia ranks last in intercountry adoption throughout the world, and Deborra-Lee thinks the Federal Government is still fostering an anti-adoption culture that thwarts thousands of childless couples from adopting overseas babies. Deb strongly believes that she and her celebrity husband could have been childless today because of the red tape and bureaucracy that forced them to return to the US to adopt. She’s pushing for a government body to be established immediately to take sole responsibility for adoptions.
In the US, the adoption process took less than a year. Neither of the children that Hugh and Deborra-Lee adopted were orphans, and both are mixed race. According to Hugh, Oscar was a bit of everything – African-American, Caucasian, Hawaiian and Cherokee. ‘We specifically requested a bi-racial child because there was more of a need. People will wait 18 months to adopt a little blonde girl; meanwhile, bi-racial children are turned away. The same was true for Ava: she was half-Mexican, half-German.’
It was also true that there was a general reluctance and fear among white couples to adopt a mixed-race baby. ‘Our lawyer brought the form back to us and said, “This is not the time to be politically correct. Are you sure this is what you want?” We were definite about it,’ said Hugh. ‘Adoption is about taking a baby into your home, and your heart. It’s the best thing we’ve ever done.’
Oscar Maximillian Jackman was adopted on May 2000 and their daughter, Ava Eliot Jackman, came along five years later, in July 2005.
Oscar’s adoption was an open arrangement, which meant personal details were shared between the biological and adoptive parents. Right from the start, Deb knew Oscar was the one for them. She recalled, ‘I kept saying to Hugh when we were in discussions early on with the mother from Iowa, that I was waiting for some kind of message, some kind of sign.’ That sign came when she was on a flight from Los Angeles to Toronto, where Hugh was shooting X-Men. ‘I looked out the window and there was this incredible electric storm outside and it was so beautiful. I was just staring at it and I said to the guy sitting next to me, “Wow, look at that, it’s amazing! Where are we?” and he said, “I think we’re somewhere over Iowa.” And I knew that was where the birth mother I had been speaking to was from. I grabbed the stewardess and I said, “Do you know where we are?” and she said, “Oh, come up here,” and took me up to the pilot’s cabin. It was before September 11. And I went in there and I said, “Where are we?” And he said, “See down there, there’s Cedar Rapids,” and tears started to roll down my face and I knew that was my message.’
Hugh and Deb are not ashamed to admit they flouted the rules by becoming friends with the birth mother, the young woman from Iowa. She even lived with the couple for a short time before Oscar was born. The young girl was twenty-two at the time and pregnant with her fourth child. She was scared of being in Los Angeles so she stayed with Hugh and Deb, along with her fourteen-month
-old child. This is not typically allowed, yet here was a young woman willing to give them the greatest gift of their lives; they just wanted to look after her. Deb recalled, ‘I think people don’t stay in touch because of fear, and I had nothing to be scared of. What, there’s no fear, he’s my son, and so… I don’t call her every week, I mean, but once a year I’ll sort of be in touch and see how she’s doing. And this is a young girl, who at twenty-two was having her fourth baby.’
They stretched the rules even more by attending Oscar’s delivery, at the mother’s invitation. ‘Hugh and I were there in the room when he was being born. The doctor said, “You know, here he comes,” and I’m like with the camera taking photos, and there were tears and photos, and Hugh cut the cord and he was put straight into my arms.’
Hugh also recalled what the experience was like. ‘The first time I held him, the first time I picked him up and held him in my arms and saw that little face, well, any anguish or pain or heartache we had over not conceiving just stopped. It just stopped, right there, right then and we never thought about it again. I remember the guy who delivered him said, “Congratulations, but don’t drop the baby”, then he walked out. To this day, whenever I get asked advice about fatherhood, that’s what I say: “Just don’t drop the baby.”’
He was amazed what a generous and loving thing it is for these young girls to give their babies up for adoption: ‘They know they can’t take care of their own baby, whether it be physically, mentally, emotionally or financially. They know it, and they give their child to someone who can. What a strong thing to do.’
Hugh Jackman Page 10