I owe my wife a hundred bucks now, ... As an Aussie, all these things like the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards are a big part of our culture. To be here, it feels a little bit surreal. |
I play one of the greatest magicians of the time period. It's an incredibly original story, a mind bender with twists and turns. The entire script is a magic trick. |
I think almost everything. I mean, the process of hair and makeup is the same, hang me by my feet and spray three cans of hairspray on my hair. But, I felt so much more confident on this film, not in an arrogant way, but I think if I didn't admit it to myself, on the first one, I was pretty scared that first month. I landed the part a week into shooting, it was my first Hollywood movie, and it was fun, but it was pretty overwhelming. So, I don't think I really felt like I had the character for probably three or four weeks ... I can go back to X-Men I and see the scenes where I'm sort of there, but it's not fully in focus for me. So, starting again from the beginning, being able to get ready physically, being able to work to get in the right shape ... In every part of it, it was easier. I think everyone in the studio was giving us more leeway to do what we wanted. I felt like I owned the character more. |
I think I was 5 and singing 'Camelot' on stage. It was always a good way to meet girls. I did musicals, plays. My school encouraged it. We'd do our own productions. It wasn't until I was about 23 that I thought, 'I could give this a shot. I might as well do it.' |
I'm a big goofball, you know. Don't tell anyone that, but I'm a big goofball. In Australia we call it a dag. |
I'm a little bit humbled and I'm thrilled. Australia will always be our home. |
I'm an actor who believes we all have triggers to any stage of emotion. It's not always easy to find but it's still there. |
I'm not a kid. You don't get in this business for anonymity. It's not like I have posters of myself on the wall, but at the same time, I'm kind of ready for a little bit of it, but I worry for my little one, and my family - their privacy. That's what I'm more protective of. |
I'm not doing Bond, |
If you could actually get rid of your special power which alienates you from the rest of the world, would you do it? It's a metaphor very much about intolerance, I think, fear of anything that's different. If you could choose to not be Jewish or not be gay or not be African-American. Life maybe is not as easy if you're a minority. Would you take the opportunity to change that if you could? |
If You Could See Me Now |
It dawned on me that acting was what I wanted to do with my life. Nothing had ever touched my heart like acting did. |
It is fair to say I am obsessed with that series. I am like a junkie looking for series two. |
It's set in three time zones: 16th-century Spain, present-day America and the distant future, deep space, ... lovers in each time zone. It's kind of a sci-fi love story. The Fountain refers to the search for the fountain of youth. |
My agent said to me five years ago, 'Hugh, I can see one day you...if I had to plan a goal for you, it's for you to have the kind of career that Sinatra had.' |