Hugh Jackman is prominently known for his role as Logan/Wolverine in the X-Men film series. Due to his outstanding acting skills and on-screen presence, he quickly rose to the top. Now that the actor is in the pool of great projects, he has every right to decide on his own projects.
While he is one of demanding actors in the Hollywood industry, there was a time when he had to audition for a film starring Sandra Bullock. It was not what he initially wanted but eventually ended up being an embarrassment for him.
Hugh Jackman Didn’t Want to Work in Sandra Bullock’s Miss Congeniality
Sandra Bullock is among the highest-paid actresses who rose to prominence in the 1990s with several of her blockbusters. Being an established personality, she starred in the 2000 film, Miss Congeniality which further escalated her acting career. It was the same film, Hugh Jackman auditioned even though he was not interested in the gig.
In an interview with Variety, he shared that his agent pushed him to audition for the role of FBI agent Eric Matthews in the film. Though he didn’t want the project, his agent was just trying to negotiate the other film, Ashley Judd’s Someone Like You which was offered to him.
He stated recalling his time before the stardom,
“No one knew ‘X-Men’ yet,” adding, “I was a nobody.”
He recalled being mesmerized by the former’s acting skills. Thinking about her acting skills at the time, he shared,
“‘Holy sh*t! She’s amazing! And so quick and fast. I’m not even vaguely up to speed here.’ I was pedaling as fast as I could, but I didn’t know the script well enough.”
He was flabbergasted when he witnessed Bullock’s acting skills which is one of the reasons why she is still a prominent personality in the entertainment industry. While he was not interested in the gig, he was abashed when he didn’t get the role.
Hugh Jackman Felt Humiliated on Not Getting The Role in Miss Congeniality
The 54-year-old actor thought that the role would be easy to crack at the time of the audition however it didn’t go well. It was the same reason why he felt embarrassed after he failed to nab the role.
He shared with the outlet,
“That’s humiliating, when your agent says, ‘I don’t want you to get this job, but just go get it.’ And then you don’t get it.”
The role eventually went to Benjamin Bratt with the movie grossing $212 million worldwide. It was around the same time when Jackman’s character, Wolverine debuted in the 2000 film X-Men. Being a critically successful film, it grossed over $296.3 million worldwide, while his character was widely praised.
The actor is set to reprise his role in the upcoming Marvel film, Deadpool 3 alongside Ryan Reynolds, which will be released on November 8, 2024.
Source: Variety
