Hugh Jackman: What I wish I'd known at 18
HUGH JACKMAN became a star thanks to his role as Wolverine in X-Men.
He is soon to appear as the character for the sixth time, in new film The Wolverine.
Hugh, 44, has been nominated for an Oscar as Best Actor for his role as Jean Valjean in the movie version of Les Misérables and appears in the comedy Movie 43, both currently on release. The Aussie, married to actress Deborra-Lee Furness with adopted children Oscar, 12 and Ava, 7, tells GARTH PEARCE what he wishes he had known at 18.
"I WAS a loudmouth idiot at 18. I remember on a visit to England being drunk and obnoxious in a pub in Bath.
I was singing Waltzing Matilda at the top of my voice when I heard a guy say: "Mad Aussie" and then he thumped me in the face.
I was completely knocked out and just remember getting up and smelling blood.
I had ridiculous rage and male bravado in those days.
I would just bang my head against metal lockers at school — we would have headbutting competitions.
So, what I wish I'd have known is a bit of common sense.
There's a place in Sydney called the Warriewood Blowhole where I'd jump off an 80ft cliff into the water. Underneath the cliff, there's a cave which you swim through and it leads to a blowhole that washes you up on to moss.
It gave me a ridiculous thrill.
I've been back with my own kids and would be horrified at them even thinking about doing such crazy things.
I just pointed out all the memorials of people who had died down there taking the same stupid risks as I had done.
I had a lot of pent-up anger then. My mum and dad were called Ten Pound Poms after they emigrated from Britain for just £10 in the 1960s.
But my mum (Grace) left my dad (Chris) with five children to return to England.
I had some very dark periods. I wanted Mum to come back because I felt that everybody stared at us as being abnormal.
It was an odd situation for a mother not to be there.
I thought for years that she was going to come back. There was a time, when I was about 12, I thought they were going to get back together.
They didn't and I took that anger and frustration out on others in my teens. It was the survival of the fittest and, looking back, it wasn't my happiest time. But I was given hope at 19. I had enrolled in a drama class at college because I thought the training would help in my aim to become a radio journalist.
I was working part-time on the front desk of a gym in Sydney to make some money when someone called Annie Semler came in for a sales tour.
About halfway through, she stared at me very long and hard and suddenly said: "You are going to be a big star."
It turned out she was the wife of a well-known Australian cinematographer.
She told me: "I am a white witch. I can see these things. When it happens, it will happen fast."
There's so much luck involved. I was originally hired for X-Men because their first choice, Dougray Scott, was working on Mission: Impossible 2.
I was not frightened of being "stuck" with Wolverine. Harrison Ford wasn't stuck with Han Solo — not that I am comparing myself to him.
But X-Men opened doors in Hollywood that were probably closed before.
I wish I'd known how much luck plays a part because I might have worried less.
And the best luck of all? Meeting my wife, which came directly after drama school on Australian TV series Corelli.
Happy ... Hugh Jackman with his wife Deborra-Lee Furness
WENN
She's eight years older than me, which is no big issue, and is a fantastic actress who has taught me a lot.
She's also the one that keeps my feet firmly on the ground — and has a great sense of humour.
When I was named Sexiest Man Alive a few years ago, she said: "Obviously, Brad Pitt was not available this year."
She also likes me coming home in costume, because it makes her feel like she's having an affair!
My marriage and children have always been more important to me than career. Whatever's good for them comes first.
If I met my 18-year-old self now, I'd probably want to knock some sense to him — like the guy tried to do to me in that pub."
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