Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter on the morning of the nominations, the actor reveals that he recently contacted a fellow nominee to praise his work.
Hugh Jackman received his fifth Emmy nomination on Tuesday, and his first for something outside of a performance during an awards ceremony (he was nominated three times for his work at the Tony Awards, and won once, and once for his work on the Oscars). This year, his nomination comes for his performance in. Bad EducationHBO’s television movie, in which she plays a school superintendent who steals millions of dollars from the school district. The film, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and aired on HBO in April, also stars Allison Janney.
Jackman spoke to Hollywood reporter Shortly after the nominations were announced Tuesday to talk a little more about his work on the film, the other nominee he contacted and what he misses the most about being on set.
Where were you this morning when the nominations were announced?
I am in East Hampton. I am sitting still at our breakfast table. Unfortunately, I woke up my daughter because it was too loud when the news came. But I feel very blessed and humble: I am grateful to be part of a movie that you love to make and that people seem to respond to and then you get a nomination. Everything is the icing on the cake. It meant a lot
How about this performance that you feel you are most proud of?
It was something he had not done before. It scared me, which is always a good sign for me. In general, what scares me the most usually brings out the best in me. When I see the movie, I think it is an important story to tell, a warning story. I think we showed a lot, maybe more dimension of the story and the characters than people might have expected, or people knew. That way, and in terms of performance, if I can be critical of myself or objective, which is typical. I find it difficult to see my own things. I have been doing this for 25 years and I feel a little more spontaneous and brave at work in front of the camera.
Were there any other nominees or shows that really impressed you?
Well, I just wrote an email to Paul Mescal, whom I noticed was nominated, about a week ago after watching the first six or seven episodes of Normal people. I’m a big fan of Lenny Abrahamson, so I saw him and that impressed me. I just thought his performance was extraordinarily layered and bold. I always remember that quote from Billy Wilder when he was talking about William Holden and why he kicked him out Sunset Boulevard. He said, “Well, he has the courage not to act.” I wrote it to Paul because I think he shows it at such a young age.
