If there’s one thing that Hugh Jackman consistently manages to do, it’s avoid being pigeonholed into any set categorization regarding his performances. On the one hand, when most people hear Jackman’s name, they might instantly think about Jackman’s lengthy tenure as the rugged, dry-witted superhero, Wolverine, in the X-Men series. Yet at the same time, Jackman has also proven himself an endlessly versatile actor able to weave between comedy, musicals, horror, and thrillers, as demonstrated by the star’s recent appearances in films like Prisoners, The Prestige, and Les Misérables, among many, many others.
With Jackman set to make his return to the superhero genre with the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine, we thought we’d take a look back at some of Jackman’s most well-known films, ranking them in order from worst to best.
After earning a reputation for his Clint Eastwood-esque performance in the X-Men series throughout the 2000s, Jackman pursued an entirely different project with 2012’s Les Misérables. Distancing himself from the snarling growl of Marvel’s Wolverine, Jackman showed off another facet to his acting capabilities with Les Misérables, holding viewers’ attention with his portrayal of Jean Valjean. Striving to create a new life for himself yet forever hounded by the phantoms of his past, Jackman adds plenty of depth to Valjean’s character, allowing the reformed Prisoner 24601 to take on a life of his own every time he appears on-screen. Watch Les Misérables on Amazon Video.
Few people can make skiing look as hair-raisingly awesome as Hugh Jackman does in Eddie the Eagle. A dramatized account of Michael Edwards’ inspirational journey to become the United Kingdom’s first Olympic ski jumper in 50 years, Eddie the Eagle finds Jackman starring alongside a scene-stealing Taron Egerton in the titular role. Though his performance might owe plenty to X-Men’s Wolverine, Jackman still finds a way to differentiate his character from his superheroic predecessor, leading to plenty of comedic sequences between Jackman and Egerton’s two temperamentally opposing characters. Watch Eddie the Eagle on Max.
When looking at the entire X-Men series as a whole, the original X-Men might not match the acclaim of its far better sequels, X2 or X-Men: Days of Future Past. Though outshined by the series’ later entries, it’s impossible to measure the importance X-Men had on the trajectory of Jackman’s career. Outfitting the 30-year-old Australian actor with his first breakthrough role, X-Men also introduced the world to the perfect cinematic portrayal of Marvel’s grizzled superhero, Wolverine. Watch X-Men on Disney+.
Just as Les Misérables hammered home Jackman’s eminent potential for more musical performances, Bad Education highlighted the actor’ propensity for more grounded dramatic works as well. A fictionalized portrayal of the largest public school embezzlement case in U.S. history, Bad Education traces how Long Island superintendent Frank Tassone (Jackman) swindled away millions of taxpayers’ dollars to fund his own extravagant lifestyle. Bolstered by a similarly wonderful performance from co-star Allison Janney, Bad Education might just rank as Jackman’s finest dramatic performance to date. Watch Bad Education on Max.
More often than not, Jackman specializes in portraying more empathetic protagonists, be it X-Men’s Wolverine or Les Misérables’ kind-hearted Jean Valjean. In the case of The Prestige, however, Jackman is able to convincingly step into the role of a far more morally complex character. As Victorian magician Robert Angier, Jackman’s initially sympathetic persona slowly erodes over time, leading to Angier’s transformation into a callous sociopath whose sole motivation is revenge against his professional rival (Christian Bale’s Alfred Borden). Watch The Prestige on Amazon Video.
How far might you go to help the person you love? What lengths would you put yourself through to make sure that person lives to see another day? Such questions form the backbone to 2013’s Prisoners, a hair-raising neo-noir thriller that sees Jackman playing a desperate father searching for his missing daughters. A good man struggling to retain his morality and very sanity in the midst of a dire family crisis, Jackman’s role as vigilante father Keller Dover is nothing short of chilling. Watch Prisoners on Amazon Video.
With Jackman’s official return in Deadpool & Wolverine, the emotional nuance of Logan might not weigh as heavily as it once did back in 2017. Yet even the harshest detractor will have trouble taking anything away from the momentous conclusion to Wolverine’s spin-off trilogy. Taking ample advantage of its hard R-rating, Logan acts as an emotional, fittingly violent send-off to the X-Men’s most well-known lead character, ending Jackman’s initial tenure as the aged Wolverine on a more than satisfying high note. Watch Logan on Disney+.
