There were speculations for a longtime that Hugh Jackman used steroids to bulk up for his role as the X-Men character Wolverine. However, the actor recently revealed the true story behind the rumours. In the latest interview, the X-men star described getting jacked the ‘old-school way’ for his famous role. The actor also hinted he avoided steroids because one of their side effects is erectile dysfunction.
When he was asked if he had ‘juiced’ for the role, Jackman shared, “No, I love my job. And I love Wolverine.” The actor explained, “I got to be careful what I say here, but I had been told anecdotally what the side effects are of that. And I was like, ‘I don’t love it that much.'” Hugh then revealed, “So no, I just did it the old-school way.”
Logan star went on to crack a few jokes about the high-protein diet he used to gain muscle for each of his nine Wolverine films. He shared, “I’ve eaten more chickens, I’m so sorry to all the vegans and vegetarians and to the chickens of the world…” He further added, “Literally the karma is not good for me. If the deity has anything related to chickens, I’m in trouble.”
Elsewhere in the interview, the actor described the difficult workout schedule he’ll be following to play Wolverine in Ryan Reynold’s upcoming superhero film Deadpool 3. Jackman, who last donned his claws in 2017’s Logan, told, “I’m not doing any other work. I’m going to be with my family and train. That’s going to be my job for six months.”
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Jackman also credited his current starring role in The Music Man on Broadway with helping him stay in shape. ‘And I’m really fit right now,’ said Jackman. ‘There’s one thing that about eight shows a week being on Broadway singing and dancing is I’m fit. So I’m healthy. I have a good place to start.’
The actor added, ‘I’ve learned you can’t rush it,’ he added. ‘I’ve learned that it takes time.’ For the unversed, Hugh Jackman first portrayed the Marvel comic book character, Wolverine, in 2000’s X-Men, and he’s since played the role in 10 films, including the upcoming third instalment of Deadpool. Deadpool 3 is slated for release in September 2024.