A Singing, Dancing Superhero: Hugh Jackman’s Blazing-Hot Career

Hugh Jackman miniseries Corelli photo 1994 before famous

Hugh Jackman in Corelli (1994)

Fresh from Performing Arts School graduation, Jackman was offered the role of a prison ruffian in the miniseries Corelli. Not only was it his first major break in TV, it also introduced him to the woman that would become his wife, actress Deborra-Lee Furness.

Hugh Jackman beauty and the beast photo 1996

Hugh Jackman in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (1996)

A musical theater geek, Jackman went back to the stage in 1996 to play the burly lout Gaston in the Melbourne musical production of the Disney animated hit Beauty and the Beast.

hugh jackman paperback hero movie photo still 1999

Hugh Jackman in Paperback Hero (1999)

Hugh’s first film role was in Paperback Hero, playing Jack Willis, a macho outback cattle drover who secretly writes pulpy romance novels under a female pseudonym. It’s the perfect storm of swooning, and where Aussie women got their first glimpse of People’s future Sexiest Man Alive in action.

Hugh Jackman in X-Men (1999)

Hugh was actually director Bryan Singer’s second choice to play the surly, feral Wolverine. It’s only when actor Dougray Scott parted ways with the role that Jackman slipped into the claws and a superhero star was born.

Hugh Jackman in Swordfish (2001)

A bona fide sensation after the success of X-Men, Jackman attracted the attention of Hollywood’s A-list producers and directors. Joel Silver wooed Hugh to play a down-on-his-luck hacker against John Travolta’s criminal mastermind in Swordfish.

Hugh Jackman in Kate & Leopold (2001)

Hugh starred opposite rom-com queen Meg Ryan in Kate & Leopold. Jackman’s charming turn as a 19th-century baron sucked into the future earned the actor his first Golden Globe nomination.

Hugh Jackman in The Boy from Oz (2003)

Secure in his Hollywood career, Jackman took a break from movies to make his Broadway debut playing flamboyant Australian singer/songwriter Peter Allen in The Boy from Oz. He won the Tony Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical.

Hugh Jackman in Van Helsing (2004)

In one of his few misfires, Jackman and director Stephen Sommers tried to launch a new sci-fi franchise around the legendary vampire hunter Gabriel Van Helsing. It turned out to be a dud, but Jackman did just fine reprising Wolverine in two more X-Men films.

Hugh Jackman in The Fountain (2006)

In the mid 2000s, Jackman moved away from action films toward more cerebral dramas. In Darren Aronofsky’s haunting yet narratively challenging sci-fi film The Fountain, Hugh played three men seeking the fountain of youth throughout the ages. Jackman says it was his most challenging role.

Hugh Jackman in The Prestige (2006)

Jackman then collaborated with director Christopher Nolan to play a jealous turn-of-the-century London magician engaged in a deadly rivalry with Christian Bale.

Hugh Jackman in Australia (2008)

Returning to his Aussie roots, Hugh joined his fellow countrymen Baz Luhrmann and Nicole Kidman for the epic romantic adventure Australia. Playing an outback cattle drover once more, Jackman sweeps Kidman’s icy character off her feet in the days before World War II.

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Hugh Jackman in A Steady Rain (2009)

Taking a three-month break from their busy film careers, Jackman and Daniel Craig united on Broadway for A Steady Rain, a gritty, sparse drama about best-friend cops who implode under the weight of lies and corruption.

Hugh Jackman in Back on Broadway (2011)

Itching to sing and dance again, Jackman announced an intimate, limited-engagement, one-man Broadway show for fall 2011. Backed by an orchestra, Jackman performs his personal favorite Broadway show tunes and Hollywood musical numbers.

Hugh Jackman in Real Steel (2011)

Getting his action back on again, Jackman plays Charlie, a retired pugilist who promotes robot boxing, in the crowd-pleasing family drama Real Steel.