Hugh and Me.

I have a lot in common with Hugh Jackman. Now stop laughing. If you are less than charitable you might point out that Hugh is a six foot something global movie star, singer and dancer with chiseled good looks and an all-round nice guy who could charm the pants of anyone. He has a Tony Award, A Golden Globe and maybe soon an Oscar.

Whereas I am five foot something, a tiny bit overweight, ever soslightly balding, occasionally grumpy with two left feet etc., etc.

The similarities between Hugh Jackman and I are deceptive. For starters we both have ten fingers, ten toes and one ….  Can I do better than that you ask?

Well yes. As it turns out I recently discovered that I went to ‘college’ with our Hugh. In the late 1980’s he enrolled in the BA Communications course at the University of Technology in Sydney.  This was around the same time that I was there.

Unfortunately I did not know that he was Hugh Jackman at the time. For starters he was quite skinny and had a beard.

Apparently he was majoring in Public Relation subjects whereas I was focused on journalism. Also he was not in my year. But in the tradition of the song I’ve danced with a man, who’s danced with a girl who’s danced with the Prince of Wales, a good friend of mine used to talk to him.

Hugh got the acting bug at UTS when he enrolled by accident in a drama subject.  The Vice Chancellor of UTS told me that Hugh tried very hard to drop out of drama but a bureaucrat refused to let him change because he missed the deadline to swap.

When he turned up in class all the student names were written on a board and parts in a class play were handed out at random. He got the lead role but didn’t want it and protested quote vociferously. Hugh told a UTS function recently that being forced to play the lead was instrumental in him catching the acting bug.

So you still think my connection with Hugh is pretty flimsy?  We didn’t even talk you might say.

Well let’s keep going. Both Hugh and I are both straight and have sung in musicals. (Yes it happens). For a while his children attended the same school as my nephew. Mothers would crane their necks when he picked up the kiddies from school.

Please, please may his son invite my son to his son’s birthday party they would gush.

Then there is The Boy From Oz connection. Hugh played Peter Allen on Broadway and in an arena tour around Australia. Whereas I am the agent for The Boy From Oz. Goodness doesn’t this make us almost genetic twins?

I would think so. And yes I have met Hugh Jackman. Recently Stage Whispers covered his appearance at The Actors Centre in Sydney. He enrolled in that course after UTS. I stood on the red carpet waiting for my interview. Do you know who I am Hugh? I have a lot in common with you. Isn’t it obvious? Can’t you see the resemblance?

He gave a one on one interview to Channel 10 and Channel 7. Then when he came past me a pushy PR person turned up her nose. He doesn’t have time to answer even one question from you.

I got one question in anyway brandishing my Boy From Oz program and he gave me a brief answer, but I can’t quite remember what he said.

Never mind, any minute now the phone ring… “Hey David it’s your old buddy Hugh here, Deb and I are having a BBQ are you free?”

The next minute I’ll feel a sharp jab in the ribs. “Wake up David …have you fallen asleep again.”

David Spicer