October 2011 will see the release Hugh Jackman's newest movie Real Steel in cinemas throughout the UK. The movie is sure to be the high octane action packed cinema experience, the type of which Jackman clearly illustrated talent for in the X-men series playing the down and dirty Wolverine, but Jackman has not always been a tough guy.
Receiving is first job offer 13 seconds after the finale of his Graduation performance from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Hugh took a role in Corelli a 10 part Australian television series. During filming, Jackman met his future wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, he later quoted saying "Meeting my wife was the greatest thing to come out of it."
After Correlli, Jackman starred in a number of local musical productions including Disney's Beauty and Beast and Sunset Boulevard as well as a number different television appearances, however it wasn't until 1998 that he began to be known outside of Australia. Starring in the London West End show Oklahoma! as the enigmatic Curly, Jackman was thrown into the starlight. Nominated to Best Actor in a Musical at the Olivia Awards, he is quoted as saying "On some level that production will be on e the highlights of my career"
After a 1999 film version of Oklahoma! Jackman was eventually cast as Wolverine in the X-Men movies, after a number of other actor turned the role down. Reportedly Deborra-Lee Furness, by then his wife, told Hugh to turn the role down, later saying she was glad he ignored her!
Having relatively little dialogue for such a pivotal role in the movie, Jackman had to convey a lot of emotion through his acting, as well as appearing natural wielding Wolverine famous claws. After a lot of martial arts and boxing training, as well as a diet of pure protein to build him up to look like the Wolverine of the Marvel comics, Jackman became an instant Hollywood star.
2003 saw the reprisal of the X-Men in X2, 2006 X-Men The Last Stand and 2009,X-Men Origins Wolverine.
Between these Wolverine roles, however Jackman also starred in Kate and Leopold as a Victorian duke who accidentally time travels to 21st Century Manhattan, as well as starring in the lead role of Billy Bigelow in Carousel.
2004 saw Jackman star in Van Helsing as a monster killer, and much more akin to the tough guy Jackman we all have come to know. He was also short listed as the new James Bond for Casino Royale however losing out to Daniel Craig.
Jackman's latest role as Charlie Kenton in the movie Real Steel, where robots have taken over in the ring and human boxing has been relegated to the past. Watching the Real Steel trailer, this movie looks exciting with some excellent effects produced by director Levy's creation of a series of full size animatronic robots, but also touches on the relationship between Charlie and his Son Max.
Real Steel is released in UK cinemas on 14th October 2011.