Hugh Jackman is about to return to the big screen as Wolverine seven years after his supposed swan song, Logan was released. Jackman first auditioned for the role 25 years ago, after being rejected once and seeing Dougray Scott chosen for the role.
But, unbeknownst to Jackman, the actor’s schedule with Mission: Impossible 2 would eventually push him away altogether, forcing him into a last-minute readjustment, after filming had begun.
EW reports that Scott later said The Telegraph in 2020 that Tom Cruise They didn’t allow him to do both films and told him to “stay and finish the film.”
Jackman recalls that he was then called to read the lines for the director Singer Bryan in the director’s trailer with the screenwriter Tom DeSanto sitting in a corner.
Jackman explained, “He’s just saying, ‘Quiet… More quiet… More quiet.’ By the end, I couldn’t even hear myself,” Jackman says of DeSanto. “I could tell he was like, Why do I audition a guy during my lunch break for a part I already have chosen? He was pissed.”
Even further behind the scenes, “there was a rush to get our Wolverine,” Feige says. “Lauren [Shuler Donner, his boss,] I was very excited for this Australian boy, who had initially been rejected.
“In my memory, one of the main reasons was that he was too tall.” (Jackman is 6′ 3″ tall.) “Wolverine in the comics is sometimes called ‘Lil’ Fireplugs.’ He’s a short guy. But they were desperate.”
Jackman left the audition feeling demoralized, convinced he would never get the part. However, instead of driving him straight to the Toronto airport, Feige offered to take him out to dinner with the screenwriter first. (“I didn’t want to just send him out in the cold!”) “I said, ‘Kevin, we all know I’m not getting the part. You don’t have to make dinner.’
“But no, he sat there and had a steak dinner with me and then drove me to the airport. I’ll never forget that. It was the greatest thing. I thought, I’ll never see him again.”
Not only did Jackman land the career-defining role, but he would surely see Feige again. Years passed and Fox continued its series of interconnected X-Men films. Now they’ve reunited for the next Deadpool and Wolverine in theaters on July 26th.
by Jessica Fisher
Source: Geek Tyrant
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
