While Hugh Jackman’s rise to prominence was initially rather lucky, as he only got the role of Wolverine in “X-Men” after Dougray Scott dropped out at the start of production, he has well and truly taken advantage of this opportunity.
In fact, Jackman has now been a bona-fide Hollywood A-lister for 17 years and counting.
Jackman’s latest big-screen adventure sees the actor returning to his musical roots in “The Greatest Showman.” Ahead of its release I sat down to talk to “The Greatest Showman’s” composers Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, and they were able to paint a picture that explained why Jackman has been at the top for so long.
“The extraordinary thing about Hugh Jackman is that he is the hardest working man in the room. He is so extraordinarily gifted, and he works harder than everyone,” explained Benj Pasek.
“That sets a tone where if anyone wants to give in, he’s the first one there and the last one to leave, and so everyone wants to work as hard as him. Because he’s a huge movie star, and you don’t want to feel as though you’re not being 110% if he is.”
Justin Paul admitted that, at first, the duo found it intimidating that they were going to work with Jackman.
“We were nervous about him hearing songs, and then saying he didn’t want to sing something. Because he really does have that power.”
“But as intimidating as that was, it quickly became inspiring and helped, because we knew that Hugh was singing the songs, and we had his voice in our head. We know what he can do, and what his strengths are, and what he has to his voice that no-one else has.”
“It gave us some parameters, and when you are being told that you can write anything, it actually helps to have a Hugh filter. It only mattered that Hugh sounded great. It was really helpful as writers.”
You can see and hear the songs that Hugh Jackman, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul created in “The Greatest Showman” now, as the film is finally in cinemas across the country.
