This morning on Twitter, Hugh Jackman uploaded a short video of himself as he shaved the muttonchop-style sideburns he had grown to play Wolverine in the X-Men film franchise. Jackman has been associated with Wolverine for an astounding 17 years, and as filming for 2017’s The Wolverine has wrapped, he is officially almost free.
Jackman’s long journey began in 1999, when the Australian musical actor was cast in Bryan Singer’s first X-Men film. That same year, Jackman had starred as Curly in Oklahoma!, in a performance produced in London’s West End and screened around the world. He was an unknown actor to most audiences, and those who did recognize him had only seen him perform by belting show-tunes and leap across a stage.
Comically good-natured Jackman told the press he had studied Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry and Mel Gibson in the also-Australian Mad Max films for inspiration. Jackman quickly became the most recognizable part of the X-Men films, reprising his role as Wolverine in 2003’s X2: X-Men United, 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand, 2009’s prequel X-Men Origins: Wolverine, 2011’s X-Men: First Class, 2013’s The Wolverine, 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, and 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse. 2017’s The Wolverine will be the ninth and final time Jackman will play the role.
Hugh Jackman’s final appearance as Logan in The Wolverine will hit theaters on March 3, 2017.
