For over twenty years, Australian actor Hugh Jackman has played the role of X-Men mutant Wolverine both in the original trilogy, his own solo trilogy and one (and a bit) appearance in the ‘First Class’ tetralogy.
Doing so has seen him inflate and deflate his body’s muscles multiple times to get into fighting shape as Logan. Last month during an interview on HBO he said the physical prep often took a toll on his body, but he never once turned to steroids.
One other thing he has done each time is to bring a gruff voice and propensity to yell and howl to the role. That has also now taken a toll physically on Jackman.
The actor revealed on the BBC’s Front Row show this week that playing Wolverine has resulted in permanent damage to his vocal cords which has impacted his stage performances:
“I’ve done some damage to my voice with Wolverine. My falsetto is not as strong as it used to be and that I directly put down to some of the growling and yelling. My vocal teacher in drama school would’ve been horrified with some of the things I did [as Wolverine].
We learned a technique [in school] of how to shout and how to yell without ruining your voice. However, during Wolverine, I did some screaming and yelling and things that I think did damage to my voice. I’m working on it. I work with a singing teacher and I try not to hurt myself. I put a lot of effort into both physical movement and my vocal preparation for every role.”
The actor will soon be returning to Wolverine shape once again when filming begins on “Deadpool 3” later this year with Jackman in the middle of his physical training for the role – the MCU’s first R-rated offering. That film will release in cinemas on November 8th 2024.
