According to Variety, one of the panelists halted him and questioned his song choice — the ballad Stars, traditionally sung by the character Javert in the musical
Hugh Jackman has admitted he nearly fled his audition for Les Misérables out of sheer embarrassment after a dramatic vocal misstep during his tryout for the 2012 film. Speaking during his An Evening With Hugh Jackman performance at the iconic Hollywood Bowl, the Australian actor candidly recounted the moment he believed he’d blown his shot at the role of Jean Valjean.
“I read first and I could tell it was going well,” Jackman told the audience. “Then I sang and I cracked on the final note so spectacularly. Like it was the worst crack you could have ever imagined. Whatever excitement was on the panel, it just deflated immediately. I was about to run out, just humiliated.”
According to Variety, one of the panelists halted him and questioned his song choice — the ballad Stars, traditionally sung by the character Javert in the musical. Jackman explained, “I said, ‘It’s the only thing I had music for. I’m sorry.’ And he said, ‘Well, you can throw that away. You’ll never sing that again.’” Reflecting on the remark, Jackman added with a laugh, “I think what he meant to say was, ‘Why don’t you put that to the side for like 30 years when you might sing it at the Hollywood Bowl?’”
Despite the rocky start, Jackman landed the lead role in the Tom Hooper-directed adaptation and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The film went on to win three Oscars, including Best Supporting Actress for Anne Hathaway, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Jackman is preparing to show off his vocal chops on screen once again, this time stepping into the role of a Neil Diamond impersonator in the upcoming film Song Sung Blue. He stars opposite Kate Hudson, who plays his partner in both life and performance. The movie is inspired by the 2008 documentary of the same name and tells the story of real-life tribute performers Mike and Claire Sardina — also known as “Lightning and Thunder.” Hudson, who released her debut album Glorious last year, recently teased the project by sharing a photo on Instagram of her and Jackman performing together on screen.
