Award Shows December 11, 2017
'Greatest Showman' Hugh Jackman Celebrates Golden Globe Nomination
Hugh Jackman has a lot to celebrate! The star was nominated for a Golden Globe for his portrayal of P.T. Barnum in the movie “The Greatest Showman”… before it even hit theaters.
“Extra's” AJ Calloway caught up with Hugh, who said he is feeling “fantastic” after his nod for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.
“It's been a seven-and-a-half-year journey. The studio took a bet on this original movie musical that hadn't been done for 23 years… I feel so many great stories about this, the fact that we got that recognition today, means everything.”
Hugh revealed that his wife, Deborra-lee Furness, had the house decorated to celebrate when he got home from dropping off his son Oscar at school, “Deb I met on my very first job, every up and every down she has been there, I got home and there were banners and posters… She knows how to celebrate.” He went on to gush, “She is the most amazing.”
2018 Golden Globe Nominations: The Complete List
View StoryAJ also sat down with Hugh over the weekend to talk about a range of other topics, including the state of Hollywood, making “The Greatest Showman,” saying goodbye to Wolverine, and setting the record straight on those “Bond” rumors.
On the sexual harassment cases in Hollywood, the 49-year-old said, “This is going to be a long-term healing, not just for our industry, across all industries, all countries. Of course there is more attention on the entertainment industry than, let's say the building industry, but it's across the board.”
He went on, “We need to take this seriously and create an atmosphere where we can heal and move beyond this and create a better world for everybody in the workplace. It's really vital, it's important, and I'm thrilled the conversation is happening, and I think we are still in the period of listening. You cannot underestimate how difficult it is to come forward.”
Jackman also shared how proud his is of “The Greatest Showman." “I'm so happy, relieved, I'm proud… musicals are so hard to pull off, they're so hard to get made.”
Hugh, however, never dreamed of running off to join the circus. He confessed, “My dream was to be a rock star, that was my dream.”
AJ insisted, “You are a rock star, absolutely, you're the greatest showman and you're Wolverine.”
But after nine “X-Men” films, the actor is saying goodbye to his superhero role, Wolverine, making the decision with the help of a famous friend, Jerry Seinfeld. “We were just discussing it at a dinner party… I remember him just saying that it's really important creatively to leave with something in the tank, 'cause if you run out of gas, then it's really difficult to launch into the next thing.”
One thing he is not launching into is the role of James Bond. Hugh explained the rumors about him turning down the role, calling them “a little exaggeration.” He explained that he remembers getting a call about whether it would be something he would be interested in, “But at the time, Wolverine had just taken off, and as much as how cool Bond would be, that call came at the wrong time.”
“The Greatest Showman” opens in theaters December 20.