Hugh Jackman on his admiration for King Charles, his feud with Ryan Reynolds and the challenges of being a dad
Hugh Jackman has told Sky News he’d love King Charles to join him for a cameo in the new Deadpool movie.
The Wolverine star – who is reprising his X-Men role for the third film in the franchise about a foul-mouthed anti-hero – has a jokey rivalry with Ryan Reynolds who plays the title character.
He joked it’s that friendly feud which has given him mixed feelings about returning to the role – and invited the monarch to give him a hand.
Hugh Jackman. Pic: Black Bear Pictures/See-Saw Films
“It’s mainly joy and excitement and fun [but] I have trepidation in that I have many, many hours every day with Ryan Reynolds.” Jackman laughed.
“That’s going to be a real mental health stretch for me, but I don’t know, maybe we’ll get King Charles in there to do a cameo.
“What do you think, Your Majesty – little cameo? You’re welcome to punch Ryan Reynolds as many times as you like, Your Majesty.”
Promoting his latest film, The Son, the Australian actor said that as he’s also a British citizen the Royal Family is very much part of his own family’s history.
“I remember even when Lady Di and Prince Charles got married, I remember my father making us all come down,” he said.
“We had to watch television that night and he popped champagne, and it was very important to him.
“I wish the new monarch all the best – it’s an insurmountable role to take on and I admire him for taking it on, and I wish him all the best.”
Zen McGrath. Pic: Black Bear Pictures/See-Saw Films
Jackman also talked about the way his life has been impacted by his latest film role.
While it’s not uncommon for film stars to see work forcing them to have time away, master a new skill or change their physical appearance, it’s not so usual for them to admit to their relationship with their own children being changed because of a character they’ve played.
The 54-year-old said making The Son – in which he plays the father of a depressed teenager – has given him a new perspective on being a dad to his own children, Oscar, 22 and Ava, 17.
“Any parent knows it’s the most humbling thing you can ever do.
“It pushes your buttons more than anything else, and it somehow brings out a fear and a worry that is so hard to handle, and I’ve become a different parent because of this film.”
The star went on to explain how being in the movie has changed the way he speaks to his children.
“I find I’m more often saying, ‘I don’t know’ or ‘give me a second’, ‘I don’t know what to do’, ‘I’m thinking this, but I’m also thinking that’ and it really disarms them, actually, particularly when we’re getting into a fight.
“And also, to tell them things that I’m feeling that has nothing to do with them, because I don’t want them to think I’m mad with them, and if I’m worried about something else, I explain to them what I’m going through.
“So, it’s changed things for me, for sure.”
Sir Anthony Hopkins. Pic: Black Bear Pictures/See-Saw Films
The Son is the second directorial feature from filmmaker Florian Zeller, whose debut The Father was critically acclaimed, winning Oscars for best adapted screenplay and best actor for star Sir Anthony Hopkins.
Jackman says it was him that approached Zeller about starring in his next project, despite having some “doubts” about the role.
“I actually reached out to the director, like I chased this one down because I just really, really wanted to play the part.
“I loved the story, I love Florian as a filmmaker, as a writer – The Father was incredible and so I was passionate about doing it and also daunted.
“I remember going to have my first talk with him, which he ended up casting me from, thinking I’m equally terrified to get the part and not to get the part because it’s a kind of character I don’t get offered a lot.”
It’s surprising to think of Jackman doing something he’s not done before – in a varied career spanning almost thirty years he’s become the longest running Marvel star as Wolverine/Logan, stolen hearts in Baz Luhrmann’s Australia and showcased his musical talents in Les Miserables and The Greatest Showman.
However, he says he certainly doesn’t feel as though he’s mastered his craft.
“I never feel, to be honest, that I’ve done it all or ‘ah this is a breeze’,” Jackman admitted.
“It never feels easy for me.
“[The Son] was just, it felt like something I rarely get a chance to do, and I relished every minute of it.”
In the film, Jackman’s character struggles to understand his son’s mental health issues.
(R-L): Jackman and Vanessa Kirby. Pic: Black Bear Pictures/See-Saw Films
The teen, played by Zen McGrath, is skipping school and finding it increasingly hard to function.
Jackman says he’s extremely sympathetic to young people who are finding it hard to cope.
“It’s so hard to be a teenager, and I think particularly with the pandemic, I think it’s incredibly difficult,” he said.
“There’s social media, all these things that are so different than what we grew up with, it was hard for me growing up as a teenager – it’s a really difficult time for any kid, I think – but I would say right now it’s the hardest it’s ever been – that’s my sense of it.
“And yet, having said that, I think there’s real hope, I feel that the younger generation, those teenagers are much more open about talking about things, they’re much more fluid and less judgemental about what group you’re in or what sexuality you have – they don’t care about any of that stuff and so I see a lot of hope, but I think it’s really difficult for them.”
Despite recognising how tough things are now, the star also admits there are certain aspects of life now that he would have appreciated when he was younger, and toxic masculinity prevented some honest exchanges.
“Thankfully, we are getting better at having open conversations about being more vulnerable, about accepting that we don’t have all the answers, about relying on other people for help,” Jackman said.
“All of these things, I think, are long overdue.
“And, you know, I wish I could have had those conversations when I was a teenager.”
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After his award-winning role in Zeller’s previous film, Sir Anthony Hopkins returns in a cameo part in The Son – playing a different character and the father of Jackman’s character Peter.
They have one, long scene together, with Jackman describing the veteran as an “acting hero” of his.
“I think the thing I learned most, that I admired about him most was that he was the first one to turn up on set before any crew member turned up he was there,” he explained.
“He woke up at 3:30 in the morning so excited that he just went to work and he arrived at like 4am or something – the security guard was there, no one else and he just waited and then he was so good that we finished at like 11:30 in the morning.
“The scene was done and he asked the director if he could go again and I said to [Zeller] ‘Why do you think he’s going again?’ He said, ‘I think he just misses acting’ – because of the pandemic he hadn’t acted, so he just wanted to get out there and do it and he loves it.”
The Son is out in UK cinemas now.
Entertainment
Creatives having to be even more creative as National Theatre overhauls how it stages productions
The National Theatre is overhauling how it stages productions – as its ambitious climate targets mean creatives are having to be even more creative.
After setting itself the goal of achieving net zero as an organisation by 2030, off-stage quietly radical changes are under way.
Pic: Reed Watts
Sky News was invited to see how the theatre, based in Southbank, central London, has gone about overhauling its approach to staging productions, meeting with some of those who’ve worked on its adaptation of the much-loved children’s classic Ballet Shoes.
While critics have been full of praise for the visual spectacle on-stage, how the whole look was created required a fundamental shift in approach.
“All of the team have had to be on board with reinventing, recutting and reimagining items rather than just making them from scratch,” costume designer Samuel Wyer said.
A new resource they had to work with was the National Theatre Green Store in Bermondsey, southeast London.
The warehouse has more than 131,000 items of costume and almost 22,000 props now housed under one roof so that designers can repurpose items from previous productions to try to cut their carbon footprint.
It’s a surprisingly satisfying challenge.
Mr Wyer said they were able to “dip and cut clothes… which meant I was finding things even outside my imagination that were more perfect than I could have drawn on a piece of paper”.
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Trying to lead by example, the theatre hopes to demonstrate how the industry needn’t take a fast fashion approach to making sets, props and costumes from scratch.
“I think if it’s demonstrated that we can do things in this way that helps all of us imagine a world where we can use what we’ve got rather than new, new, new, because we need that balance,” Mr Wyer said.
“Theatre is where we come to imagine who we could be.”
Pic: Reed Watts
‘Every piece has its own little quirks’
Last year, the National set itself targets of 50% of the materials used in its productions having had a previous life, and 65% being repurposed at the end of each production.
For set designer Frankie Bradshaw, hitting those targets has meant working with a lot more repurposed furniture.
“Lots of second-hand cabinets, bookshelves,” she said. “Ordinarily [carpenters] would have been used to building from scratch following a drawing and this has been quite different.
“Every piece has its own little quirks, and they’ve had to adapt their processes to fit that way of working.”
While it’s by no means straightforward, the process is proving rewarding.
“It requires everyone to be a little bit more flexible, a little more patient, but it does mean you can end up with a product you’re a lot more proud of,” Ms Bradshaw added.
Ballet Shoes runs at the National Theatre until Saturday 22 February.
Neil Young has been confirmed as a headliner at this year’s Glastonbury – despite saying he was dropping out due to the BBC’s involvement in the festival.
The 79-year-old Canadian musician wrote on his website earlier this week that both he and his band, The Chrome Hearts, were pulling out because the BBC’s involvement was a “corporate turn-off”.
He has now said in a statement that this decision was down to “an error in the information I received”.
Emily Eavis, the organiser of the Glastonbury Festival, posted on Instagram on Friday: “Neil Young is an artist who’s very close to our hearts at Glastonbury.
“He does things his own way and that’s why we love him.
“We can’t wait to welcome him back here to headline the Pyramid in June.”
Glastonbury, which takes place at Worthy Farm in Somerset in the summer, has worked closely with the BBC – its exclusive broadcast partner – since 1997.
Posting on Neil Young Archives, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer wrote in his initial statement: “The Chrome Hearts and I were looking forward to playing Glastonbury, one of my all-time favourite outdoor gigs.
“We were told that BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in.
“It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being.”
Young performing at Glastonbury in 2009. Pic: AP
Young, who headlined the festival’s Pyramid stage in 2009, added: “We will not be playing Glastonbury on this tour because it is a corporate turn-off, and not for me like it used to be.
“Hope to see you at one of the other venues on the tour.”
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In an updated statement, he wrote: “Due to an error in the information received, I had decided to not play the Glastonbury festival, which I always have loved.
“Happily, the festival is now back on our itinerary and we look forward to playing! Hope to see you there!”
Young, who is married to US actress Daryl Hannah, was booked to play Glastonbury in 1997 but pulled out after cutting his left index finger while making a ham sandwich.
Glastonbury, one of the UK’s largest music festivals, is set to take place between 25 and 29 June, with Sir Rod Stewart booked for the Sunday teatime legend slot.
Wayne Osmond, one of the original members of The Osmonds, has died aged 73.
The singer, who rose to fame alongside his siblings including Donny, Jimmy and Marie Osmond, died on New Year’s Day with his wife and five children by his side after suffering a stroke, family members said in posts on social media.
“His legacy of faith, music, love, and laughter have influenced the lives of many people around the world,” a family statement said.
“He would want everyone to know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, that families are forever, and that banana splits are the best dessert. We love him and will miss him dearly.”
Donny Osmond, 67, paid tribute to his “dear brother” and said he was grateful to have seen him in hospital before his death.
“Wayne brought so much light, laughter, and love to everyone who knew him, especially me,” he said. “He was the ultimate optimist and was loved by everyone.”
The Osmonds in 2008 (L-R): Merrill, Jimmy, Donny, Alan, Marie, Jay and Wayne. Pic: AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth
Born in Ogden, Utah, Wayne Osmond was the fourth of nine siblings. The two oldest Osmond brothers, Virl and Tom, were both born with hearing problems.
The family were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Wayne’s musical career started when he was just a boy, when he formed a barbershop quartet with three of his brothers, Alan, Merrill and Jay. They were later joined by younger siblings Donny and Jimmy and became household names in the 1970s, with hits including One Bad Apple, Crazy Horses, and Love Me For A Reason.
Sister Marie also rose to fame as a singer.
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Merrill and Jay Osmond were among the family members sharing tributes, with Merrill, 71, also saying he visited Wayne before his death.
“I’ve never known a man that had more humility,” Merrill said. “A man with absolute no guile. An individual that was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met…
“My brother Wayne endured much. He gave it his all. His legacy will go down as someone who was not only a genius in his ability to write music, but was able to capture the hearts of millions of people and bring them closer to God.”
Jay, 69, said he had always “felt most connected to Wayne out of all of my siblings” and that a “true legend” had left the world.
Wayne Osmond is survived by all of his siblings, as well as his wife Kathlyn and their children.
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