Yahoo_Host1: Hugh Jackman who is playing Wolverine in X-Men the movie is here and ready to answer your questions.
hugh_jackman_live: hi folks.
hugh_jackman_live: it's good to be in your chat room., let's go!

gambittguy asks: Hugh, how would you describe Wolverine to someone who doesn't know him or the X-Men?
hugh_jackman_live: Fiercely independent.
hugh_jackman_live: Fiery by nature.
hugh_jackman_live: Skeptical of authority
hugh_jackman_live: And a little bit hairy

beguile2 asks: Were you concerned about playing a character like Wolverine that already had such a big following, in that your might disappoint the fans?
hugh_jackman_live: I always thought of an actor that to play someone alive and famous was the greatest challenge. But now I know otherwise.
hugh_jackman_live: Yes, Beguile...it was daunting.
hugh_jackman_live: And at the same time, quite an honor.

weoponxwolverine asks: hey Hugh, did you ever hear of Wolverine and what interested you in the part
hugh_jackman_live: Great name. That book was one of my favorites of the series.
hugh_jackman_live: Obviously yours too!
hugh_jackman_live: I didn't know X-Men growing up in Australia, even though there are a lot of fans there.
hugh_jackman_live: However, I didn't really know Wolverine at all. But reading the script, regardless of the comic strip...was too good to turn down.
hugh_jackman_live: Also, Bryan singer as a director and the fantastic cast...made it so there wasn't even a choice.

ReeYees79 asks: What was it like working with actors like Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart?
hugh_jackman_live: That's a good question. They're two of the greatest actors alive today. And I knew of their work as Shakespearean actors from years ago.
hugh_jackman_live: To actually work with them, I had to kind of forget that I was a little bit in awe and remember that as Wolverine, I couldn't give a stuff who they were.

Wed Apr 26 16:03:50 2000
hugh_jackman_live: There was one scene with Patrick where he was showing my character around the school...and it finished with a long monologue about why the school existed.
hugh_jackman_live: And, the director let him do the scene 6 times. It took about a minute and a half long, and after the 6th tape.. I thought each one was so brilliant and different..."Why would he have him do it again?"
hugh_jackman_live: Then, Brian said I want one more....
hugh_jackman_live: Not because he needed one more...it was just because they were all so brilliant, I wanted to make sure it wasn't a fluke!
hugh_jackman_live: He was amazing.

theangel85 asks: Hugh- I was wondering if you would be able to describe some of the details about the claws for us. In some shots, it appears as though the claws are plastic or a dull metal, but we know they are metal- from the incident you have already described to IGN.com. But then in other shots, they seem to be CGI. Do you know how this process will work? thanks!!
hugh_jackman_live: When the claws are retracted, or coming out, they're an element of CGI.
hugh_jackman_live: For shots when they START out and FINISH out, they're real. Hard metal.
hugh_jackman_live: And I have the scars to prove it: one on my forehead, one on my knee, one on the Mystique double's arm...
hugh_jackman_live: :)
hugh_jackman_live: On the trailer, the extreme close-up of my eye and the claws coming out is all real. It's a constructed arm with claws extending.

jeffx85 asks: did you do most of your fighting scenes?
hugh_jackman_live: Yup.
hugh_jackman_live: I do have a stunt double for some things, when you see the movie you'll see the double back flip...landing on his face.

rpfilart asks: Hi Hugh, since Wolverine's character is trained in many forms of hand-to-hand combat, I'm wondering what type of skills did you draw upon to prepare for the fight scenes? Any martial arts training, etc? Thanks!
hugh_jackman_live: But I did as much as my body could handle. I've done a lot of fights before on stage, and in movies...so I've had quite a lot of training. I even have a Stage Combat certificate somewhere.
hugh_jackman_live: But we did a lot of training in the specific style in which Wolverine would fight. We wanted him to have his own style, and the closest I can liken it to is a street fighters. Not pretty, but effective.
hugh_jackman_live: Much like how Mike Tyson exploded in the boxing circuit...that's the spirit of wolverine.
hugh_jackman_live: Tyler Mane, who played Sabretooth, was amazing. He actually had done 11 years of professional wrestling. What was incredible was how he'd punch and kick...he'd JUST hit me each time. It was uncanny.
hugh_jackman_live: He was quite the pro.

ashleya6722 asks: In the movie, what kind of "history lesson" do we get on Wolverine's past?
hugh_jackman_live: You hear about ... you actually see in a flashback sequence... of him being experimented on and being given the adamantine skeleton and claws.
hugh_jackman_live: You also hear about the fact that he can't remember his past.
hugh_jackman_live: And, I'm being careful not to say too much, but you find him in an outback illegal Canadian bar... ;)
hugh_jackman_live: So there's an element of Canada in there...

cat_who_walks_through_walls asks: How much did you rely on the comics for inspiration into the character's motivations? What 'baggage' did you try to bring, and what did you reject to create 'your' Wolverine?
hugh_jackman_live: I read a lot of the comics when I first got cast. Which admittedly was quite late. They'd even already started shooting by then.
hugh_jackman_live: I drew a lot of inspiration from the artwork itself, which I just found to be so expressive and economical and smart.
hugh_jackman_live: And finding wolverine's physicality was easier after reading them.
hugh_jackman_live: Things like the tilt of a head, or positions during fighting...arm positions. I found it fantastic
hugh_jackman_live: A lot of his history in the comics filled out the reasons why he is like he is. Which does get explored in the movie.
hugh_jackman_live: I also rejected the nude scenes in the snow.
hugh_jackman_live: It looked great in the drawings but at -46 degrees, no thanks.
hugh_jackman_live: I can't really remember rejecting anything else. I even brought in the occasional "bub", but hopefully they'll be more than 1 X-Men movie, so we can explore quite a lot.

allykat_fangirl asks: Wolverine's character doesn't adhere to the usual archetypal hero, and some of the things he does could be deemed morally ambiguous, would you classify him as an anti-hero?
hugh_jackman_live: it's an interesting point. He's somewhere between the two.
hugh_jackman_live: We're going to get very intellectual now. In the 50's films, is the classic anti-hero, like William Holden type characters.
hugh_jackman_live: Wolverine does now...it's more accepted that a pragmatist can still be a hero even if he's not a nice guy,.
hugh_jackman_live: He doesn't follow the rule book.
hugh_jackman_live: When I first read the script, he reminded me of the Reluctant Hero, like Han Solo from Star Wars.
hugh_jackman_live: But you're right, in saying he's not archetypal. He's flawed. He's at times ruthless.
hugh_jackman_live: He always thinks that when he cuts someone up, that they deserve it.
hugh_jackman_live: And he's angered. He's not particularly heroic. He lets go with his anger.

sabr5 asks: Do they ever show your healing factor in action?
hugh_jackman_live: Oh yeah.
hugh_jackman_live: It happens pretty early on.
hugh_jackman_live: Put it this way, Full Face healing happens...and then later, from the major fight....with Sabretooth...my healing factors really come into play.
hugh_jackman_live: Heavily.

allykat_fangirl asks: I've seen a few of your other movies. In contrast was Logan/Wolverine an easy or difficult character? Have your ever portrayed another similar character? Was Logan the most physical character you've done thus far?
hugh_jackman_live: Yeah. In terms of movies, he's definitely the most physical. In the last month, we shot 7 days a week.
hugh_jackman_live: I was sore all over, but it was so much fun.
hugh_jackman_live: A small movie I did prior to this, called "Erskineville Kings", had a character that I played called Waste, who had some similar qualities; suppressed anger, ferocity, the caged animal kind of feeling... but apart from that, it was quite different and all the better for it.

garrisonblack asks: Did you try and match your voice to the cartoon? Or did you prefer to try your own version of Wolvy's voice.
hugh_jackman_live: I can honestly say I didn't watch the cartoon, deliberately, until someone had it on the monitors on the set during the last couple weeks of filming.
hugh_jackman_live: One of the hardest things to translate to film, is something that needs to find its integrity in the film. We had to make everything 3 dimensional.
hugh_jackman_live: We had to make all the characters live in a believable world. For example: When Wolverine is not in the uniform, when he is in the bath, in Canada, people might look twice at him, but wouldn't think he was a freak.
hugh_jackman_live: Some mutants COULD try to live in this world...some look normal...without being instantly recognizable.

rotaryfone asks: We've heard the story about getting your jewels caught in a safety harness. Any other set mishaps?
hugh_jackman_live: Oh, by the way...the questions on the Family Jewels will be answered much later. I'm still reeling from the thought.
hugh_jackman_live: ;)

mlke23 asks: Mr. Jackman, its popular opinion(among your online fans:) ) that this role will make you a household name in the US...a hot commodity. What's your opinion on this?
hugh_jackman_live: I'm always reluctant to predict what will happen.
hugh_jackman_live: Whether it will be X-Men or a Football team, or whatever...
hugh_jackman_live: There's no doubt that I think the movie will be successful. I think it will please all the fans, as well as introduce the X-Men to all those people who don't know about us.
hugh_jackman_live: And for me, let's just hope we get to do another one, and see some of the other characters....So I can waste 'em all!

wfs_tigers asks: Those rubber costumes that you are wearing in the movie look like some pretty uncomfortable... are they as bad as the look?
hugh_jackman_live: Tiger....they're NOT rubber...it's leather.
hugh_jackman_live: And when I first put them on, you're absolutely right. Nothing could have been more uncomfortable. But within about 3 or 4 days, they became perfect.
hugh_jackman_live: My character gets one too small for him in the story, so that made it worse!
hugh_jackman_live: But I will never forget James Marsden (Cyclops) and myself going into the trailer during the first viewing of the costumes, and we had to be pushed UP the stairs to the trailer, cause we couldn't move ourselves.

luliby_x asks: Hugh, can you tell us if you have heard anything more certain about sequels to the X-men?! We REALLY would like to see MANY, MANY more!
hugh_jackman_live: Sequels are solely dependent on the success of the first movie.
hugh_jackman_live: And I know they are really hoping that it will happen, as are we.
hugh_jackman_live: Until July 20th or so, no one wills really know.
hugh_jackman_live: So tell all your friends about it.

muddy247 asks: will wolverine have his trade mark fangs?

allykat_fangirl asks: In the comics, Logan/Wolverine is often referred to as a babe magnet and he has quite a female fanbase. Were you aware of this? Wolverine is not just for the boys!
hugh_jackman_live: Well, I was always hoping he could cross over like that!
hugh_jackman_live: :)
hugh_jackman_live: I certainly know Wolverine likes the ladies. That's for sure.
hugh_jackman_live: And in the film, he has a certain simmering attraction to Dr. Jean Grey. Say no more.
hugh_jackman_live: But I'm thrilled there are some female fans in the chat room.

den70000 asks: Do you kill anyone in this movie?
hugh_jackman_live: yes.
hugh_jackman_live: I can't give any more detail than that.
hugh_jackman_live: :)

dammit_billiard asks: is wolverine considered the main character of the film?
hugh_jackman_live: Yeah. He is. He is , from a story point of view, through his eyes, the audience enters the world of mutants.
hugh_jackman_live: The X-Men are together at the beginning of the film, and wolverine comes into the fold.
hugh_jackman_live: As does Rogue, during the film. So... he's not an X-Man at the beginning.
hugh_jackman_live: I've not even sure if they call him one at the end of the film, actually. But I DEFINITELY can't say any more than that.
hugh_jackman_live: ;)

nybgblue121 asks: Do any of Wolverine's Canadian Friends Join him in the film?
hugh_jackman_live: No...not yet.

manythings711 asks: Would you compare the fight scenes in X-Men to the Matrix>? In the trailer I saw him doing some slow-motion air moves.
hugh_jackman_live: We did use the harnesses. There was the famous Bullettime shot used during filming, but I'm not sure if it will stay in the film. But rest assured, the fight sequences are pretty spectacular.
hugh_jackman_live: Matrix 2 is going to have to top us. hee hee hee

Skylar042 asks: Do you prefer films to theater?
hugh_jackman_live: Both are the same. I love them like Chocolate and Vanilla. Ice Cream.
hugh_jackman_live: Yeah. There's tension.

purityofsunlight asks: Is there a obvious animosity between Cyclops and Wolverine in regards to Jean?
hugh_jackman_live: yeah, there's tension.
hugh_jackman_live: It's there constantly, but is resolved by the end of the movie.
hugh_jackman_live: Temporarily resolved. Let me say.

Boiiinng asks: Are there any cameos from other X-Men in the movie at all?
hugh_jackman_live: No. There are so many more characters to explore. Lots of sequels so they all get in there.
hugh_jackman_live: It was a very hard choice for the writers as to which storyline to follow, cause there are so many great characters.
hugh_jackman_live: But they will all get their chance.

krystastarr asks: Do we get to see some of Wolvies rare nice guy moments
hugh_jackman_live: yeah. When no one else is watching.
hugh_jackman_live: But not for too long!
hugh_jackman_live: There's a particularly touching relationship with Rogue that develops throughout the movie. A brotherly-sisterly relationship.

CriminyPete asks: Wolverine's a hairy sucker - did you have to have extra body hair applied at all? :)
hugh_jackman_live: (laughing) No.
hugh_jackman_live: I have a little covering on my chest anyway, and luckily it didn't require excessive back hair. But I've been growing my beard for some time now, and it's still on, because we may have some re-shoots to do to ensure the film is perfect.

lucio30_2000 asks: How long was the shooting schedule for X-Men? And how was it working with Bryan Singer?
hugh_jackman_live: The schedule in the end was 5 months. 5 and a half. Bryan was just fantastic.
hugh_jackman_live: he's something of a genius. Very exact about what he wants. Very smart and intellectual, and never compromised the integrity of the script and series.
hugh_jackman_live: The film is never 2 dimensional. It's never stereotypical. The characters are well thought out ,and he insisted on 150 % commitment and development. It HAD to be that way.
hugh_jackman_live: And he pushed everyone of us.

Wed Apr 26 16:33:52 2000
hugh_jackman_live: He was wonderful to work with.
hugh_jackman_live: The beauty of working with Bryan is that his films always are smart and they make sense, regardless of special effects. So when I saw Cut Footage of certain scenes with green screen and some fx not even there, it was still interesting and fantastic, brilliant to watch.
hugh_jackman_live: So I can only imagine what it will be like with the special effects at the end.

the_infamous_twinz asks: Did you see your action figure? Do you think it looks like you?
hugh_jackman_live: It IS cool to have an action figure!
hugh_jackman_live: I've seen the head.
hugh_jackman_live: And though my mother wouldn't say it looks like me, I think it does.
hugh_jackman_live: I also ok'd a prototype of a blow up FULL SIZE Wolverine punching bag with a voice playback!
hugh_jackman_live: A lot of the merchandise is voice activated, so I spent a few days recording the words and the lines for the toys. It was a helluva lot of fun.

shatter_star15 asks: Did you have to work hard to get the American accent down?
hugh_jackman_live: We had a full time dialect coach and I worked quite hard on it, but I've gone through 3 American shows before. 2 theater (for a year each) for example, so it's almost second nature.
hugh_jackman_live: And it's not so hard for us Aussies, cause we have more American TV in Australia growing up, than you'd think.

SenseiJJ asks: Mr. Jackman , did you have any trouble filming in front of green screens? any stories on that?
hugh_jackman_live: I must admit I was a little nervous at the beginning.
hugh_jackman_live: But after a while, I found it quite freeing in a way. Liberating.
hugh_jackman_live: you just sort of use your imagination and let fly. Often, I was literally flying with green screen behind me.
hugh_jackman_live: If you ever get an experience to fly 100 feet in 1 1/2 seconds....do it.

t_catchu asks: Is there a relationship between Logan and Sabretooth in the movie (s)?
hugh_jackman_live: Oh yeah.
hugh_jackman_live: They are definitely adversaries. Worthy adversaries.
hugh_jackman_live: One of the major fight sequences climaxes in a huge battle between the two of them, on top of the statue of liberty.

Harlem07 asks: How was it to work with Halle Berry, any moments with her in the movie?
hugh_jackman_live: Yes. I did several scenes with her. She's absolutely delightfully. Generous and a fantastic actor. And it was very exciting for us, cause during the filming she won her Golden Globe for Dorothy Daindridge, so it was an exciting time for her.

foo_kid_14 asks: DO ANYONE LIKE GAMBIT, OR BEAST APPEAR IN THE MOVIE?
hugh_jackman_live: No. They're going to have to wait around for the sequel for them to appear.
hugh_jackman_live: Gambit NEARLY appeared. I think in one of the early drafts... He was definitely be there in a major way in some stage.

garrisonblack asks: How hard was it to film a fight scene with a half naked Rebecca Romijn Stamos?
hugh_jackman_live: at times a little nerve wracking. I definitely didn't want to miss with any of my punches or kicks.
hugh_jackman_live: And of course, obviously a little distracting. :)
hugh_jackman_live: Her first day was outside, and she was pretty much naked, as you say, and she had to hold her breath to hide the steam in her mouth, and it was about a -20 degree wind-chill!
hugh_jackman_live: Her makeup took about 10 hours to put on. She would have a pickup at 2 AM, so she could be ready for after lunch!
hugh_jackman_live: When she worked, she put in almost 24 hours. 17-19 hour days.
hugh_jackman_live: She was such a trooper, and she was fantastic as Mystique. As you see in the trailer, we have quite a fight together.

super_ray_13 asks: Mr. Jackman, do you want the X-Men to be a movie that everyone remembers you by?
hugh_jackman_live: Sure, of course.
hugh_jackman_live: I think it has a potential to reach a lot of people. I'm proud of what I did in it, and I think it will be really good.
hugh_jackman_live: When I have kids, I don't want them to se Wolverine for the first couple years. :)
hugh_jackman_live: I could think of worse things to be remembered by. That's for sure. He's a great character, and I really like him.
hugh_jackman_live: As I'm sure a lot of you guys do.

concussionhead asks: Hugh, do you have a favorite X-men besides Wolverine?
hugh_jackman_live: That's an interesting question. I think...
hugh_jackman_live: probably my favorite (other than wolverine) is that I sure have a soft spot for Rogue, but I think my favorite overall is Magneto.

gambittguy asks: Now, that you've filmed X-Men, will you read and follow the comic books any for leisure?
hugh_jackman_live: I will. I don't know if I will read them every week. But I now have such a huge appreciation and respect for it, but having not grown up with it...I'm not in the habit.
hugh_jackman_live: But I will read a lot of it. In the airport for example...
hugh_jackman_live: I enjoy it, but after immersing myself in it for so much for 6 months, I 'm taking a little break from it. To be honest.

StevenVonSpark asks: Hugh, gotta say you look to kick major ass...you ROCK in the trailer footage! My question: do you feel, as the actor portraying Logan, that his rage is inherent to his mutant ability or due to things that happened to him in his past?
hugh_jackman_live: That's a great question.
hugh_jackman_live: I think you should be a future director!
hugh_jackman_live: Obviously, he was independent by nature.
hugh_jackman_live: And what makes someone angry and fiery is largely based on what happened to him. Even prior to that in the series, he's called the Ultimate Fighting Machine, but I think his berserker rage comes form the experimentation. And his loss of memory.
hugh_jackman_live: What makes him so formidable is his heart. His passions. His determination. He's the kind of guy that goes the extra mile, to take the hard road no one else will do.

kevkev76 asks: What is Wolverine's age?
hugh_jackman_live: No one knows how old he is. Not even him.
hugh_jackman_live: He's definitely aware...even Xavier has a fatherly tone with all the X-Men, and tries it a bit with Wolverine, but I think he can tell that Wolverine might even be older than him.

pkgambit asks: Is there a huge following of X-Men in Australia?
hugh_jackman_live: Apparently, there's a huge one. In fact, the owner of Marvel told me that per capita, it's the biggest following in the world.
hugh_jackman_live: Apparently, huge. I'm hoping that the Aussies will really back this movie.

the_infamous_twinz asks: Does Wolverine go into any of his famous berserker rages in the film, bub?
hugh_jackman_live: Yes Bub.
hugh_jackman_live: Check it out, July 14th.
Yahoo_Host1: Thanks so much to Hugh Jackman for coming -
hugh_jackman_live: Thanks to you all for logging on and chatting. Sorry I couldn't get to all the questions, and I'll make a commitment to do another chat when the film comes out!