5 Hugh Jackman Movies That Proved He Was More Than Wolverine

I think most of the world recognizes Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. He's just so amazing in that role, and from the moment he graced our screens, it was like this epic perfection in casting.

But the problem with being one of the most famous superheroes in the world is that people often forget your other, non-heroic roles.

Jackman's range outside the X-Men franchise proves he is a consummate song-and-dance showman, a brooding dramatic heavyweight, AND an intense character actor.

Let's dive in.

1. The Prestige (2006)

- YouTube www.youtube.com

• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Writer: Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan (based on the novel by Christopher Priest)

I'd love to see Jackman and Nolan collaborate again. It feltl ike the director was able to pull something special out of him. This is like raging jealousy and also mystery.

Jackman plays Robert Angier, an obsession-driven stage magician in Victorian London locked in a deadly rivalry with fellow illusionist Alfred Borden (Christian Bale).

You get Jackman using all his charisma as a facade for something darker, and that's why it stands out to me.

2. Prisoners (2013)

- YouTube www.youtube.com

• Director: Denis Villeneuve
• Writer: Aaron Guzikowski

I love a depressing movie set in Pennsylvania. It reminds me of home. And Jackman delivers pure PA prepper with pitch-perfect poignancy. He plays Keller Dover, a desperate father whose young daughter goes missing on Thanksgiving.

The movie gives him palpable stakes that make it easy to be on his side, then it takes us somewhere dark where we begin to question if his quest for answers is still just.

It’s a grounded, agonizing portrayal that completely strips away any movie-star gloss to give us a role where we ask if we still like him at the end.

3. Les Misérables (2012)

- YouTube www.youtube.com

• Director: Tom Hooper
• Writer: William Nicholson (screenplay), based on the stage musical by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and the novel by Victor Hugo

I mean, the guy can sing and dance, and he is just wonderful in this movie, which is why we say he got his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for the role of Jean Valjean.

Jackman’s theatrical background shone through, and you can also buy into this mythically strong peasant who rises in influence and loses his daughter.

I love his solos in this film and his strength.

4. Bad Education (2019)

- YouTube www.youtube.com

• Director: Cory Finley
• Writer: Mike Makowsky (based on the New York Magazine article by Craig Unger)

Please do not sleep on this movie. It's one of the best movies to come out in the last decade. Jackman plays Frank Tassone, a meticulously groomed school superintendent hiding a double life and millions in stolen funds.

Man, he is great in this; he becomes a sniveling liar and a pompous jerk at the same time. He genuinely believes he's a great guy, and we love watching him crumble.

5. The Greatest Showman (2017)

- YouTube www.youtube.com

• Director: Michael Gracey
• Writer: Mark Bomback (uncredited), Jenny Bicks, and Bill Condon

This was a viral movie whose soundtrack is bigger than the film itself. It made so much money in theaters, so that's saying something. And at its center is Jackman playing the titular showman. The guy nails the hooks and allows his ensemble to shine around him. You really love him in this role and hum along with the songs.

Summing It All Up

Hugh Jackman is entering his post-Wolverine part of his career, and I am interested to see where he takes it. I hope we get more musicals, more character studies, and just more of him on screen. He has such a presence, and while I will miss Wolverine, I am excited for the roles we have no idea about that will grace the silver screen soon.