Jackman of all trades May 19, 2013
Acting wasn't always on the cards for one of our best-known stars.
In another universe, Hugh Jackman could well have been writing this article. In this universe, he might well have sold you petrol or signed you up for a gym membership you never wanted.
Not long after Jackman left school he enrolled in a journalism degree at the University of Technology, Sydney. At the same time he worked the graveyard shift at a Shell service station and behind the counter at a gym.
''I was the 'before' model at the gym,'' he says, joking. ''The only options when I was there were three, six or 12 months
but I did have a high rate of converting [members] to 12.''
It was one of the early signs of the infamous Jackman charm. Or, as he describes it: ''my b*lls**t, in journalism terms''. But journalism wasn't his destiny. ''I got caught up in the romance of journalism,'' he admits. The realisation it wasn't for him came from a tutor, Wendy Bacon. ''I saw in her this dogged 'I want the truth, I am going to track everything down.' I didn't want the truth. I was fine with the rosy coloured glasses on.''
The wanna-not-be journalist began to feel a life of career-skipping beckoned. "I kind of for a while thought my surname was going to be my curse. The jack-of-all-trades. I was
pretty good at a lot of things. As an actor, when I started, I would say the same. No one was tapping me on the shoulder saying, 'Oh my god, this kid.' It's been a slow burn for me and probably a little more hard work than natural gift."
Taking a drama elective in his degree, Jackman was cast in a play and it toured it to Armidale, where students were performing a Steven Sewell play. ''The thing I remember the most was staying with the students, watching what they were doing, and realising that I had made the wrong choice for the last three years. I wished I had my time again and had done that. So I went to the theatre.''
He's never had to turn back to journalism or the gym. ''I had a five-year rule with myself [for acting]
and after five years I was still earning money.
X-Men had just hit.
''Then I did another five years. I haven't renewed, I've done an open contract to myself.''
Jackman was shocked in that film to land his most famous role. ''The greatest surprise to me is Wolverine, without a doubt. You probably only need to spend more than 30 seconds to realise that I'm not a natural [for the] casting. The thing I'm most proud of acting-wise is that role.''
More recently, he gambled on
Les Miserables, a film he describes as ''a huge risk''. ''I've never put so much into a film. I'm glad to say a role like this has probably taken 20 years [for me] to become a better singer or dancer or actor. As Australians, we love the have-a-go attitude and this movie is a result of that.''
