| Hugh Michael Jackman (born October 12, 1968, Sydney) is an Australian television and film actor, producer, popular with the general public for the role of superhero-mutant Wolverine in the movie trilogy “X-Men”, recipient of a “Tony Award” (2004) for theater and an “Emmy Award” (2005) for television.
Biography:
Hugh Jackman was born on October 12, 1968 in Sydney. He was the youngest of five children in the family. His parents are Chris Jackman and Grace Watson emigrants from Great Britain. They migrated to Australia in the thirties. When Hugh was just 8 years old his parents divorced and Grace returned back to England and all the children remained with their father who soon married for the second time.
In his youth the future actor took great interest in basketball and was also the captain of the school team.
On completion of school, Hugh took attended the University of Technology in Sydney in the journalism faculty. He graduated college with a bachelor’s degree in communications with a specialization in journalism. However, towards the end of university, he understood that he had very little interest in the journalism profession and took great interest in the theater.
In 1991, Hugh attended a year-long theatrical course “The Journey” in the Acting Center in Surry Hills, Sydney.
Career:
In 1994, after three years of training in the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), Jackson immediately found work in the Australian television serial-drama “Correlli”. The series is about the job of a woman-psychologist doctor Correlli in a male prison. Hugh played the role of her most complicated patient, prisoner Kevin Johns.
Since October 1996 till June 1997 Hugh was busy in the Australian production of the musical “Sunset Boulevard” in the role of Joe Gillis. For this role, Jackman twice received the Mo Award for “Best Actor of the Year”. Also, Jackman played the role of Gaston in the musical “Beauty and the Beast”.
From 1998, Hugh Jackman played on the stage of the Royal National Theater in London under the guidance of director Trevor Hanna. For the performance in the role of Curly McLain in the musical “Oklahoma!” Hugh was nominated for the Oliver Award for “Best Actor in a Musical”.
In 2001, Jackman along with Meg Ryan played in the romantic comedy “Kate and Leopold”. For the role of the charming duke Leopold, he was nominated for a “Golden Globe” in the category of “Best Actor (comedy/musical)”.
In 2004, in the musical “The Boy from Oz” on Broadway, Hugh Jackman played the role of showman Peter Allen. For this role, Jackman received the Drama Desk Award in the category of “Outstanding Actor in a Musical”.
In 2005, Jackman along with his business partner John Palermo formed a production company “Seed Productions”. The first project of the production company was the serial “Viva Laughlin”, 2007, in which Hugh played one of the supporting roles and in 2009, the company is planning to release the spin-off “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”, filming for which started in the end of 2007 in Australia.
In 2006, Jackman lent his voice to two cartoon films, the animated comedy-musical “Happy Feet”, which won the Oscar award in the category of “Best Animated Feature” in the same year and in the cartoon film-parody “Flushed Away”.
Current Projects:
At present, Hugh is taking part in the shooting of the film “Australia” along with Nicole Kidman in the leading female role. Filming is taking place in Bowen (Australia).
Personal life:
In April 1996, Hugh Jackman married actress Deborra-Lee Furness.
In May 2000, the pair adopted a newborn baby - Oscar Maximillian. In 2005, they adopted a second child – Ava Eliot. In an interview, Hugh called his wife “the best mother in the world”. |
Australian actor Hugh Jackman celebrated his 40th birthday yesterday. In Hollywood Jackman is mostly known for his roles in Van Helsing and X-Men. My personal favorite of Jackman's acting was his recent role in "The Prestige". We think 40 is a wonderful age for Jackman's acting career and wish him many new roles and his first Academy Award in the near future! Happy 40th Birthday, Hugh!
