Anthony Bunko - Hugh Jackman: The Biography

21 April 2009

W ith his shock of grey hair, his smart suit and his suntanned face, Jay Leno looked relaxed as he stood on the makeshift platform in front of Graumans Chinese Theater. In front of him, pressed up against the barriers in the stifling heat of the LA sunshine, were 500 fans, many clutching homemade Wolverine claws. To his right, an army of photographers were all vying for the best position; opposite them a host of dignitaries sat in folding chairs trying to keep cool under the shade of a large marquee.

Straight guys love him gay guys love him women love him, in fact I dont know anyone who doesnt want to be him, Lenos voice boomed out.

The crowd clapped and hollered. Backstage, Hugh Jackman broke away from the two bodyguards, who looked as though they had just come off the set of Men In Black, to sign autographs and talk politely with two women handing out water bottles.

Hugh could hear his good friend and TV presenter, Leno, finishing off the rest of his short introduction. The Hollywood actor made his apologies to the women and headed towards the exit. He stood there nervously, pinching himself to make sure it wasnt all a dream. It had been a hell of a year. He had recently been crowned Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine, beating off old favourites like George Clooney and Brat Pitt. Then he was asked to host the Oscars, and was so well received that before the last of the awards had been handed out, his name was already being pencilled in for the next years event. And now, to top it all off, he was waiting to be inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He hosted the Academy Awards, Leno added, he sings, he dances, acts everything I cant do Ladies and gentlemen, Hugh Jackman!

On cue, the 6ft 3in Australian appeared through the beautifully ornate Chinese doors onto the red carpet in a blue polo shirt, dark trousers and the coolest of sunglasses. He looked like a rock star with the body of an Olympic swimmer and arms that an American football quarterback would die for.

He waved and smiled, acknowledging friends and family, and in particular, the fans.

By the way, Leno added, Hughs going to put his face in the cement, unlike the normal stars who only put their hands and feet into it.

They both laughed. Hugh had been on Lenos The Tonight Show many times during his rise through the ranks of Hollywood, and on each occasion Leno found him to be the perfect gentlemen and a model star to interview. One of the nicest guys Ive ever had the pleasure to work with, Leno has often said.

Thanks, everyone, Hugh took over the microphone. This is a dream come true for me Jay Leno, my opening act. The mutual respect was evident as the good friends ribbed each other.

Behind him, massive posters of Hugh in full Wolverine costume, including the outrageously epic sideburns, were draped over the walls. They announced the fourth X-Men movie, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, to be released on 1 May. It was latest in the series of superhero blockbusters that had propelled Jackman into the spotlight and made him hot property in Tinseltown.

He stared across to where his wife Deborra-Lee Furness, his eight-year-old son Oscar and his three- year-old daughter Ava were sitting in the VIP section with a group of Hollywood bigwigs, including the owner of the Twentieth Century Fox film studio that was releasing the movie, Rupert Murdoch. It was a proud moment for them all.

I have to tell you, the Sydney-born forty-year-old said, this particular block of real estate has brought me two moments in my life I thought would never ever happen As all good actors do, he left a small pause before continuing. Hosting the Oscars, and now here today. It means the world to me.

He continued to thank the people who had supported and helped him to achieve the honour before he promptly switched his attention towards the ones he loved most. Full of pride, he looked over at them as he told the world that if it hadnt been for his family, none of it would have been possible, and without them by his side, it certainly wouldnt have been as much fun.

He turned to his son. How I am doing, Oscar? he asked.

Everyone stared at the little boy; camera crews focused in on Oscars cute little face. Hugh held his breath thinking back to earlier in the day when Oscar had told him that he was only coming to the ceremony if he didnt do a long, boring speech.

So over breakfast, Hugh had discarded the more formal speech hed written and in typical laid-back Australian style, promised his son he wouldnt talk for too long, although he couldnt guarantee that it wouldnt be boring.

Under the shade of the tent, the little boy gave Hugh the thumbs-up, then immediately turned his head away to start checking out the hot chicks, which according to Hugh was his new fascination. Hugh smiled and carried on.

Its a very humbling moment as an actor to be here. You look down at the names, from Fred Astaire to Cary Grant, Clint Eastwood, Al Pacino, Steve McQueen, John Wayne, and to think that those have been immortalised and pretty soon Ill be putting my hands in wet cement.

Another loud cheer rose up from the crowd as six men carried the cement and placed it in front of the stage. Hugh kneeled down, placing his hands and feet into the wet concrete. He held up his dirty paws to the great delight of fans and to the flashes of hundreds of cameras; across his face was spread the biggest of grins.

To date, there had been just over 2,000 stars privileged enough to have their hands and footprints immortalised forever outside Hollywood Boulevards historic Graumans Chinese Theater. Now he, Hugh Michael Jackman, would be joining some of his very own heroes; the stars he had watched on television or at the cinema while he was growing up. And to make it extra-special, his position on the pavement was in between two of the biggest legends of all time, Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne. He knew it didnt get much bigger than that: he was joining a select and elite band of fellow Australians who had also had their foot and handprints immortalised in the theatres iconic forecourt over the past 70 years the likes of Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman and Olivia Newton-John. Not even Mel Gibson or Russell Crowe, two of the Antipodes biggest-known stars of recent years, had had their hands set in stone as yet.

However, the deep significance of the humble moment hadnt been lost on the superstar, who had not only wowed audiences with his all-action movies like X-Men and Van Helsing, but had defied critics with masterful stage performances on New Yorks Broadway and in Londons West End. It was unbelievable to think that only 12 years earlier, on his first visit to LA, the Walk of Fame was the exact Hollywood landmark that he and his wife had come to see first. Theyd spent hours walking the stretch of pavement on both sides of the street, reading all the names, taking in all of the history. He remembered placing his hands into the imprints of one of his all-time heroes, the late, great Peter Sellers. Never in a million years did he think that one day he would be doing it for himself.

Looking back, the unassuming stars rise to the top hadnt all been plain sailing. There was his tough, uncompromising childhood, which had led to lots of anger and frustration in the early part of his life, and the bouts of loneliness and self-doubt hed suffered as a drama student and struggling actor. Yet through the rejections and some bad decisions along the way, he had stayed focused and determined as he climbed the ladder to stardom, to arrive on the rung where he stood at that moment.