Hugh Jackman has happily accepted his status as a gay icon, saying he’s “all for” tackling discrimination through storytelling.
Jackman visited an Auckland university on Wednesday, where he sang with students and announced his upcoming world tour The Man. The Music. The Show.
On the tour, the 50-year-old will perform songs from The Greatest Showman, Les Miserables and other Broadway show tunes from across his career.
In Auckland, Jackman was quizzed on “what else he could do to cement his status” as a gay icon.
Laughing, he replied, “I have absolutely no idea… I love telling stories. It was my absolute privilege playing Peter Allen.
“I don’t know if he was out, but everyone knew he was gay.”
Jackman won a Tony for playing the gay musician, who was Liza Minelli’s first husband, in The Boy from Oz.
Jackman recalled his performance being so convincing his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, had to set the record straight after one of the shows.
“Deb, my wife, came to see it about 40 times. She loved that show,” she said.
“She was in the bathroom at one point, in a stall, and she could hear two women outside going ‘Is he or isn’t he?’
“She was just listening for about two minutes, then she just yelled out, ‘He isn’t!’ Silence in the bathroom.”
The actor said he was pleased to see progress around the world on LGBTIQ rights, as well as the rights of other marginalised groups who have faced discrimination.
“I love what is happening in the world, not just in the [LGBTIQ] community, for women, for many many minorities, or groups that have been overlooked or discriminated against,” he said.
“I’m all for it in every single aspect and I’m proud to be a part of any solution to that through storytelling.”
Jackman’s live tour The Man. The Music. The Show. will come to Brisbane for two performances at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre from August 31.
