It is possible for actors to take their roles a little TOO literally, especially if they’re already confused about the name of their character and just what it is they’re supposed to do. Hugh Jackman actually spent time studying wolves for the role of Wolverine simply because he didn’t know the animal, the wolverine, actually existed. He’d had no previous inclination that such a creature existed in nature and as a result thought that the name of the hero had something to do with wolves. So he stopped into an IMAX theater that was doing a showing on wolves and decided to watch and learn just how they reacted to their environment.
When he brought up the idea of adding an animal-like lean to his director, Bryan Singer, it wasn’t seen as an acceptable idea. Jackman then went on to state how he’d been studying wolves and their mannerisms when Singer told him that he wasn’t going to be a wolf-like character, he was going to be a character called Wolverine. Jackman still didn’t get it and insisted that there was no such creature, while Singer finally convinced him that yes there was. That had to be kind of an embarrassing moment, especially when Singer went on to tell him that the name was metaphorical in nature, and that he wouldn’t really be playing a guy dressed like a wolverine.
To be fair to Jackman on one point it wouldn’t be a complete boneheaded moment on his part if he’d never been up north or anywhere that the wolverine might actually be found. In truth if you do happen upon one of the furry little critters you’re best to just walk away since they’re not the nicest creatures in existence. They’ve been known to take on animals much, much larger than themselves if they feel threatened or in any intimidated. Some of them have actually taken on bears that outweigh them by hundreds of pounds, so most humans wouldn’t be a big problem for them. Wolverines tend to stay in the colder climates and aren’t found in the warmer areas of the world, so perhaps Jackman hasn’t been to the rugged outdoors of North America that often.
But seriously, looking something up back in the early 2000’s wasn’t that hard. If you know you’re going to be starring in a role that’s named the Wolverine you’d better know as much as you possibly can and read a comic book, pick up an encyclopedia, and gain as much knowledge as you can before jumping into it. Hugh Jackman came to personify Wolverine in all his glory despite being a great deal taller than the iconic mutant, bringing a healthy level of attitude and charisma to the role that few people could have ever accomplished.
To think however that he was this confused as to what his role would be like is kind of funny and even more to the point it’s a little revealing. All it would have taken is to pick up a comic book and read for a while.
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