Film followers prefer to debate the most effective Hugh Jackman motion pictures, however one factor isn clear: the star of stage and display screen is an A-lister. He grew to become a family identify for his function within the X-Males motion pictures, however previous to the discharge of the 2000 authentic he was roughly a Hollywood unknown. That is across the time he auditioned for Miss Congeniality with Sandra Bullock and it… did not go nicely.
Miss Congeniality is among the greatest romantic comedies of the early aughts, and is at present streaming with a Paramount+ subscription. In a current interview with Selection, Jackman spoke about auditioning for the challenge pre-X-Males, and struggling to maintain up with Sandra Bullock throughout his audition for the function of FBI Agent Eric Matthews. In his phrases:
‘Holy shit! She’s wonderful! And so fast and quick. I’m not even vaguely in control right here.’ I used to be pedaling as quick as I might, however I didn’t know the script nicely sufficient.
What a bummer. Jackman was nonetheless early in his profession, so maybe this particular audition was a studying expertise for him. That, or it proved simply how nice of an actress Bullock is. Both manner, it is an expertise that the 56 year-old actor remembers all these years later.
Whereas I’ve to imagine that Jackman not often auditions these days, particularly after his acclaimed roles tasks like Christopher Nolan’s The Status in addition to his Oscar-nominated efficiency in Les Miserables. Later in the identical interview, he spoke about the way it felt to lose out the function to Miss Congeniality. He stated:
That’s humiliating, when your agent says, ‘I don’t need you to get this job, however simply go get it.’ And you then don’t get it.
I’m wondering why Jackman’s agent did not need him to land the function of Matthews in Miss Congeniality. Maybe they did not notice how a lot of a hit the comedy would finally be. It is arguably considered one of Bullock’s most iconic tasks of all time.
Followers of 2000 comedy will do not forget that this particular function finally went to actor Benjamin Bratt. Lengthy earlier than changing Jimmy Smits in Star Wars, he performed hunky main man Eric Matthew and had nice chemistry with Sandra Bullock. Though now I’ve to surprise what the film would have been like if Hugh Jackman was the one who performed the charming FBI agent.
X-Males was additionally launched in the identical yr, and catapulted the 56 year-old into superstardom. Though now I wish to see him and Bullock paired in a film all these years later. Make it occur, individuals!
Miss Congeniality is streaming on Paramount+, and each Hugh Jackman and Sandra Bullock proceed to have thriving careers. They’ve each acquired tasks developing on the 2026 film launch checklist and past, however nothing collectively simply but.