Hugh Jackman did not pull any punches when he returned to his role as Wolverine which even surprised Ryan Reynolds.
Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds came together for a recent interview where they talked about their recent collaboration in Deadpool & Wolverine. While discussing various topics, Reynolds introduced a fan question that asked the actors how they looked like awesome superheroes despite their ages over 45. Reynolds jokingly asked Jackman how he performed stunts like a young Tom Holland, to which Jackman shared the one miraculous thing that had helped him.
The Green Lantern actor joked that he himself moved like a much older Tom Hollander. Jackman shared that he loved how Reynolds put them in the same age bracket even when the Wolverine actor was at least 10 years older than the Free Guy actor.
Hugh Jackman Revealed The One Thing That Helped Him With Stunt Choreography In Deadpool 3
Ryan Reynolds shared in the PEOPLE interview that he couldn’t believe what Hugh Jackman did for his role in Deadpool & Wolverine. He shared that it was not just the aesthetic transformation that he was talking about but also the relentless dedication to performing the stunt choreography. He added that the Real Steel actor excelled in fight scenes with speed and confidence.
Jackman explained that he learned from the best and listened to advice from Brian Smrz, the stunt coordinator who had worked with both of them on X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Jackman shared that Smrz would tell every stuntman or actor who came to work for/with him to take a dance class.
Smrz would explain to Jackman how dance classes bring a mix of relaxation and strength, which helps with stunt choreography. Jackman shared with Reynolds (via PEOPLE | YouTube):
Brian Smrz, who’s a great second coordinator, was the first person to tell me, “Every time I hire a stuntman or someone’s coming up I say, ‘Do dance class.’ And they go, ‘What? I’m going to learn to smash a car and ride a motorbike.’
And I said, ‘But there’s a mixture of relaxation with the strength that you need. It’s basically choreography and to take a punch it’s more about the relaxation than the grunt.’”
The Greatest Showman actor shared that once he decided to return to the Wolverine role in the MCU, he decided to go back to dancing. While his body got a little sore from it, he was now thrilled about dancing again. Jackman shared:
I had got to the point, I must admit, probably 10 years ago I was like I’m not enjoying it. Like it was hurting, it was tough. But I’ve had a break and I’ve been doing a lot of dance. I’ve been doing stage shows and arena shows.
So when I came back to it, it was really fun and I was thrilled. My body was a little sore at the beginning but I was thrilled. And my body was still responding and I realized how good it is for your brain.
Besides the stunts, Jackman admitted that the hardest part about returning to the role was to maintain a 5-6 meals per day diet. He found it very difficult for his naturally skinny body type, but he shared that he learned a lot from Reynolds’ dedicated diet for the movie.
Ryan Reynolds Learned The Biggest Lesson Of His Career From Hugh Jackman
Ryan Reynolds revealed that he learned to be a “consummate host” from Hugh Jackman. He recalled his experience on X-Men Origins: Wolverine which was his career’s biggest movie at the time. He shared that he was nervous to be on the set in Sydney until Jackman welcomed him with a hug. Reynolds shared:
I heard my name run in between these trailers…and it was you. And just the fact that you knew my name meant so much to me. I just remember what a consummate host you were… I also learned so much about what it means to lead a set. I watched you know every member of the crew’s names.
The two of them also joked about how Jackman was not pulling any punches during the fight scene between them. Reynolds jokingly shared that he saw a lot of repressed rage in the Logan actor and feared that Jackman would decapitate him.
