Besides a few notes in Les Misérables, Hugh Jackman rarely misses as one of the most beloved movie stars, stage actors and Ryan Reynolds feuding partners of our time.
But before he ever bared his adamantium claws on the big screen, Hugh made an early career misstep while auditioning for a role in the 2000 action comedy Miss Congeniality starring Sandra Bullock.
“No one knew ‘X-Men’ yet. I was a nobody,” he told Variety about the audition, which he only did at his agent’s behest to help negotiate an offer for the rom-com Someone Like You.
Hugh was one of a small group of actors that tested with Sandra, who both starred in the film as the undercover agent Gracie Hart and served as producer.
Naturally, Sandra blew a relatively unprepared and green Hugh out of the water.
“‘Holy shit! She’s amazing! And so quick and fast,’” the actor recalled thinking. “‘I’m not even vaguely up to speed here.’ I was peddling as fast as I could, but I didn’t know the script well enough.”
“It was the first time I’d tested [with another actor],” he added. “I was impressed that she was in there. I didn’t expect her to be in there. I’m guessing eight people she tested with.”
The role ultimately went to Benjamin Bratt, who starred opposite Sandra as her love interest FBI Agent Eric Matthews, but didn’t return for the 2005 sequel Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous.
Getting turned down still stings for Hugh, who said he has never “told that story by the way” until now.
“That’s humiliating, when your agent says, ‘I don’t want you to get this job, but just go get it.’ And then you don’t get it,” he said.
But, in the end, it all worked out for the best, as Hugh went onto land the breakout role of his career as Wolverine in “X-Men” that same year, spawning multiple sequels and his own franchise.
More than 20 years later, Hugh is set to reprise the role in the upcoming third Deadpool movie alongside Ryan Reynolds. And, no auditioning was required, as he simply called the actor on the phone to express his interest in the team-up movie.
“I think, actually, he’d given up,” Hugh said of Ryan’s reaction. “I think it was a big shock to him. There was a massive pause, and then he said, ‘I can’t believe the timing of this.’”