Hugh Jackman Biography

From LoveToKnow Celebrity

The Hugh Jackman biography tells the story of an actor, performer and producer who hails from Australia, making it big in Hollywood blockbuster films. Jackman's success is due to his talent, perseverance and good looks.

Hugh Jackman.

Early Hugh Jackman Biography

Hugh Jackman was born on October 12, 1968, in Sydney, Australia. He is the youngest of five children, but also has a half-sister. His parents, Chris Jackman and Grace Watson, split up when Jackman was only eight, leaving him and his siblings to be raised by their father.

Hugh Jackman
Born As:	Hugh Michael Jackman
Birthdate:	October 12, 1968
Best Known As:	Actor
Website:	Hugh-Jackman.com

Jackman was known to be gifted at singing and appeared in the musical My Fair Lady while attending high school. While still dabbling in the arts, he continued his education and earned a BA in Communications, majoring in journalism, at the University of Technology in Sydney. He followed this with a year long acting course and then another three years at the Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts, which set him on his path to fame.

Venturing Into a Career in Acting

Almost as soon as he finished acting school, Jackman was awarded a starring role in the Australian TV drama Corelli, where he met his wife, actress Deborra-Lee Furness. For the next few years, he took on small television roles while also fielding starring roles in theater productions.

It was the musicals, however, that really launched his career. During the late 90s, he starred in:

Beauty and the Beast
Sunset Boulevard
Summa Cabaret
Oklahoma!

Playing the role of Curly McLain in Oklahoma!, at the Royal National Theater in London, England, Jackman was widely praised for his performance and earned an Olivier Award nomination. The show was so popular that it spawned a television version, which aired worldwide.

X-Men

In 2000, the role of Wolverine in the comic book inspired film X-Men was awarded to Jackman. The movie, which was panned by critics but adored by fans, brought him instant stardom and launched him into the sort of popularity that most actors only dream of.

Three sequels to the original X-Men movie have been released so far, and Jackman has appeared in all of them. Other regular cast members include Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Famke Jannsen, James Marsden and Anna Paquin. The sequel titles are:

X2: X-Men United (2003)
X-Men, The Last Stand (2006)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Other Film Roles

With his star quickly rising, more feature film roles came along at an exciting pace. Jackman starred in several more movies, some of which were hits, while others struggled at the box office. These include:

Swordfish (with John Travolta)
Kate and Leopold (with Meg Ryan)
Van Helsing
The Fountain
Scoop (with Scarlett Johansson)
The Prestige (with Christian Bale)
Deception (with Ewan McGregor)
Australia (with Nicole Kidman)

Jackman was also considered for the role of James Bond in Casino Royale, but ultimately lost the spot to Daniel Craig. In addition to the movies above, he provided voiceover work for two animated films, Flushed Away and Happy Feet.

In addition to his Hollywood roles, Jackman has continued to take on challenging spots in theater productions and musicals, including Carousel and The Boy from Oz.

Hugh Jackman Trivia

No Hugh Jackman biography would be complete without these interesting tidbits:

Jackman has hosted the Tony Awards three times, and hosted the 81st Annual Academy Awards in 2009.
He and his wife have suffered through two miscarriages, and have adopted two children. They have a son, Oscar Maximillian, and a daughter, Ava Eliot.
Jackman has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, issued on April 21, 2009
In 2008, he was named People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive"
Ashton Kutcher played a prank on Jackman in his hidden camera show Punk'd, in which Jackman was led to believe that he had blown up a director's home.
Jackman has taken on the role of producer on several film and television projects, including X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and the short-lived musical TV show Viva Laughlin.