Caught on CameraWhy Hugh Jackman Hated His Own Voice Until The Greatest ShowmanThe Tony winner says it was difficult to listen to himself until he sang the score of the upcoming movie musical.
ByRuthie Fierberg
December 16, 2017
Come December 20, Tony winner and Oscar nominee Hugh Jackman returns to the big screen in another musical—but you’ve never heard him like this before.
He may be The Boy From Oz and his Academy Award nod came from his work in Les Misérables, but as P.T. Barnum in the brand new movie musical The Greatest Showman, Jackman needed to find a new gear.
“I wanted to do a different style from the way I’d been singing before, the way I’d learn to sing. This is a little more pop,” says Jackman during an interview with Playbill at the press junket for The Greatest Showman. “For me I really had to go back to the beginning.”
Jackman worked with vocal coach Liz Caplan, who worked with Tony winners Ben Platt and Neil Patrick Harris—and a litany of other star performers. With her help, Jackman (who already eaerned a Golden Globe nomination for the role) says, “I have never loved singing more.
“I find it really difficult to listen to myself sing,” he confides. “I’ll be listening to the Broadway channel sometimes and they’ll announce me and I immediately turn it off. But with this I can actually listen to myself.”
And with songs by Tony and Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land), Jackman had material ripe for the picking. Set in the 1800s, the film combines the story, costumes, and conventions of the time period and the founding of Barnum’s Circus with contemporary music and dance. Through the story of Barnum’s striving to make something of himself and create a world of vibrancy and joy for his darling wife, Jackman’s passion and talent shines through.
“I came to singing late. When I was doing Beauty and the Beast and in my contract they made me have a singing lesson every week,” he explains of his early stage career. “What happened was I was learning on the job … and I kind of developed a voice that was not fully mine. Liz really made me fall in love with singing.
Jackman also discussed what it was like to sing this score in a recording studio, as opposed to his Jean Valjean, where he sang live in Tom Hooper’s film adaptation of the Alain Boublil and Claude Michel-Schönberg classic.
The Greatest Showman debuts in theatres nationwide December 20.
Watch more from the interview below:
FAQs
Did Hugh Jackman do all his own singing in The Greatest Showman? ›
So, in short, Hugh Jackman did indeed lend his vocal talents to "The Greatest Showman." However, when it came time for him and the rest of the cast to go through a table read to get 20th Century Fox on board, he didn't get to do much.
Why did critics not like The Greatest Showman? ›Criticism included that it didn't cover the true story of Barnum's circus in a fulfilling way and that it was shallow and watered down. Thus, critics set up The Greatest Showman to be a massive commercial failure for the studio – a similar fate to that experienced by later musical Tom Hooper's Cats.
Is Hugh Jackman considered a good singer? ›Hugh Jackman is a very well-accomplished singer. He's starred in musicals both on the West End and on Broadway!
What kind of voice does Hugh Jackman have? ›Hugh Jackman is well known for being wolverine on x-men movies. He is an incredible actor and he can sing really well too. Voice type: High BaritoneLowest Note...
Who sang for Jenny Lind? ›The power ballad "Never Enough" is the big song for Rebecca Ferguson's Jenny Lind, but she's actually lip syncing to vocals by Loren Allred. And Allred recently explained why she was so shocked that her vocal made it into the theatrical cut.
Did Zendaya do her own trapeze in The Greatest Showman? ›Zendaya can sing, dance and act, and after doing many of her own stunts for The Greatest Showman, she has some trapeze skills under her belt, too.
Who is the greatest film critic of all time? ›James Agee
His work only became famous post-mortem, but he is now seen as one of the greatest film critics of all time. Various film reviews done by Agee, compiled together into one book.
The first crucial point is that Zendaya's stunt-intensive Anne Wheeler wasn't considered a freak in The Greatest Showman simply because she was Black. While her race was a social barrier and made her spiritually a part of the freak family, it wasn't the sole reason why Anne Wheeler was in a traveling freak show.
Did Zendaya get hurt in The Greatest Showman? ›Zendaya and Zac Efron, who will be seen in the upcoming movie The Greatest Showman alongside Hugh Jackman, revealed that they were left “bruised” during the filming of the movie.
What actor has the most famous voice? ›1 Mel Blanc
The man of 1,000 voices himself, Mel Blanc, is still the standard that voice actors are held to. Like many, Blanc began his career in radio broadcasting. At the age of 19, he was noticed for being able to voice multiple characters that sounded nothing alike.
Which famous singer has the best voice? ›
- 1 of 35. Celine Dion. Kevin Winter/Getty Images. ...
- 2 of 35. Barbra Streisand. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for BSB. ...
- 3 of 35. Etta James. ...
- 4 of 35. Nina Simone. ...
- 5 of 35. Aretha Franklin. ...
- 6 of 35. Whitney Houston. ...
- 7 of 35. Smokey Robinson. ...
- 8 of 35. Mariah Carey.
When I was doing Beauty and the Beast and in my contract they made me have a singing lesson every week,” he explains of his early stage career. “What happened was I was learning on the job … and I kind of developed a voice that was not fully mine. Liz really made me fall in love with singing.
Who has the deepest natural voice? ›Tim Storms (born August 28, 1972) is an American singer and composer. He holds the Guinness World Record for both the "lowest note produced by a human" and the "widest vocal range".
What is the rarest voice? ›A countertenor is a male singer who can sing as high as a soprano or mezzo-soprano. The countertenor is the rarest of all voice types.
Who has the deepest normal voice? ›Since 2012, Tim Storms has held the world record for the lowest ever vocal note – that's a deliciously gravelly G -7 (0.189 Hz), which is eight octaves below the lowest G on the piano.
Is that Zac Efron singing in The Greatest Showman? ›Let's not forget, Zac played Phillip Carlyle in 2017's The Greatest Showman, and provided vocals for 'The Greatest Show', 'The Other Side' and 'Rewrite the Stars'.
Does Rebecca Ferguson sing herself in The Greatest Showman? ›Trivia (73) Rebecca Ferguson's voice was dubbed by Loren Allred. Ferguson had studied music and admitted that she can carry a tune but since Jenny Lind, her character, is considered the best singer in the world, dubbing her voice would be in service of the movie.
What was the point of Jenny Lind in The Greatest Showman? ›Jenny Lind was a Swedish professional opera singer recruited by P. T. Barnum to help him make money for his circus. Lind is portrayed by Rebecca Ferguson.
Who did Zac Efron replace in The Greatest Showman? ›Supergirl's Jeremy Jordan Recalls The Brutal Time He Performed The Greatest Showman With Hugh Jackman Before Losing Role To Zac Efron. The Greatest Showman was an incredible movie in a lot of ways.
What did Zac Efron do in greatest showman? ›Efron plays Phillip Carlyle, a performer and business partner of P.T. Barnum, who launches what will eventually become the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Efron's character falls in love with Anne Wheeler, a mixed-race trapeze artist played by Zendaya.
Did Zac Efron use a stunt double in The Greatest Showman? ›
We recently caught up with Germantown Academy graduate Josh Fried '06, who was Zac Efron's stunt double in the hit film The Greatest Showman, which is currently showing in theaters across the country.
Who is the most respected actor in the world? ›- Denzel Washington. ...
- Tom Hanks. ...
- Marilyn Monroe. ...
- Robert De Niro. ...
- Bette Davis. ...
- Natalie Portman. ...
- Heath Ledger. ...
- Katharine Hepburn.
Landing in the top spot of the American Film Institute's best movie villain of all time is the brilliant-yet-ghastly cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter from the 1991 Oscar-winning picture The Silence of the Lambs, superbly portrayed by the great Anthony Hopkins.
Which is the Floppest movie of the world? ›- 'Birdemic: Shock and Terror' (2010)
- 'Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2' (2004) ...
- 'The Hottie and the Nottie' (2008) ...
- 'House of the Dead' (2003) ...
- 'Son of the Mask' (2005) ...
- 'Saving Christmas' (2014) ...
- 'Epic Movie' (2007) ...
- 'Battlefield Earth' (2000) ...
The interview with Vogue is not the first time the star has spoken about her struggles with mental health, as in a previous interview with Elle, the actress revealed that she used to suffer from severe anxiety. Admitting that her role in Euphoria was amazing, she also said that it gave her “anxiety every week”.
Did Zac Efron and Zendaya kiss in The Greatest Showman? ›For Zac Efron, the most show-stopping moment of The Greatest Showman was his newly dubbed "favorite kiss" ever with Zendaya. In the movie, Efron and Zendaya play Philip Carlyle and Anne Wheeler, members of P.T. Barnum's (Hugh Jackman) Barnum & Bailey Circus who get swept up in a forbidden romance.
Who is the villain in The Greatest Showman? ›Philip Carlyle | The Greatest Showman Wiki | Fandom.
Who did Zendaya refuse to kiss on screen? ›Zendaya in an interview with British Vogue shared that she had once refused to have her first kiss on screen for her show Shake It Up. The actor said that though the kiss was just on the cheeks she wasn't comfortable about it.
Who is taller Tom Holland or Zendaya? ›My mom's taller than everyone.” Tom is said to stand at 5 feet, 8 inches tall while Zendaya, for her part, comes in at 5 feet, 10 inches.
Who actually sang rewrite the stars in greatest showman? ›Rewrite The Stars
Who has the most recognizable voice of all time? ›
- Martin Luther King's “I Have a Dream” speech is just as powerful today as it was in 1963, and for good reason: His voice. ...
- We bet you read “I have a dream” in Martin Luther King's voice each and every time too–it's unforgettable. ...
- Not an expert on making the most of different pitches yourself?
Gilbert Gottfried | |
---|---|
Gottfried at GalaxyCon in 2020 | |
Birth name | Gilbert Jeremy Gottfried |
Born | February 28, 1955 New York City, New York, U.S. |
Died | April 12, 2022 (aged 67) New York City, New York, U.S. |
- 2 Ellen DeGeneres - Finding Nemo (2003)
- 3 John Goodman - Monsters Inc. ...
- 4 Tom Hanks - Toy Story (1995) ...
- 5 Eddie Murphy - Shrek (2001) ...
- 6 Samuel L. ...
- 7 George Clooney - Fantastic Mr. ...
- 8 Christian Bale - Howl's Moving Castle (2004) ...
- Al Green. ...
- Sam Cooke. ...
- Otis Redding. ...
- Frank Sinatra. ...
- Nat King Cole. ...
- Michael Jackson. ...
- George Michael. An error occurred. ...
- Freddie Mercury. The greatest frontman of all time, also just so happened to possess the greatest male voice of all time.
The seventh octave is the range of notes between C7 and C8. It is easier for very high coloratura sopranos to sing in this octave, but some people who are capable of singing in the bass range (like singers Adam Lopez, Virgo Degan, Nicola Sedda or Dimash Kudaibergen) can do it.
Who can sing 10 octaves? ›But it's not a famous face who has the most octaves of all.
This is Tim Storms, a singer in possession of an incredible 10 octaves!!! He's a Guinness World Record Breaker and has recorded material, although has never seen significant success in the industry.
Australian superstar actor Hugh Jackman, known for his roles including as Wolverine in the “X-Men” series, has had to deal with a type of skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma (“BCC”) multiple times according to his publicly divulged posts and interviews.
Is Hugh Jackman autotuned in Greatest Showman? ›While The Greatest Showman (2017) may be one of Hugh Jackman's most popular performances right now, I'm not going to focus on it as much. He doesn't sound horrible in that film because he's heavily autotuned, which is another issue I'll address later.
Who did their own singing in The Greatest Showman? ›Everyone does their own singing with the exception of Rebecca Ferguson, who plays Swedish singing sensation Jenny Lind and has a show-stopping number that brings lip syncing to the height of art.
What is the hardest note to sing? ›The highest note on record is a G10 sung by Georgia Brown, a Brazilian dance/electric singer. You can hear it here (it's really something!). While a G10 is extreme, many of the coloraturas I know sing up to the 7th octave.
Who can sing 8 octaves? ›
The Italian Brazilian singer Georgia Brown holds the Guinness World Record for the highest note ever hit by a human, an incredible G10. Verified at the Aqui Jazz Atelier Music School in Sao Paulo, her vocal range extends to eight octaves.
Is Michael Jackson voice deep? ›Going alongside his incredible high singing vocals, Michael's speaking voice usually had a gentle and kind tone to it. But this was not always the case. For those that knew him well, Michael actually spoke with a much-lower register than what fans would usually hear on TV.
What voice type is the most attractive? ›Their study revealed that males find female voices that indicate a smaller body size—high-pitched, breathy voices with wide formant spacing—most attractive. Females, on the other hand, prefer to hear a low-pitched voice with narrow formant spacing, reflecting a larger body size.
What is the most rare female voice type? ›Contraltos are arguably the rarest of female voice types and they possess a tone so dark they often give the men a run for their money. If mezzos are like clarinets, contraltos are more like bass clarinets.
What voice type is Adele? ›As a mezzo-soprano, Adele's songs sit in a range that suits most listeners, singing along.
Who has the beautiful voice in the world? ›Who has the most beautiful voice? Barbra Streisand. Barbra Streisand's unique voice has become a mainstay of American music since the 1960s, earning her the coveted EGOT – an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, as well as Tony. ...
Who is considered the best female vocalist of all time? ›1: Aretha Franklin
Topping our list of the best female singers of all time, Aretha Franklin also stands as the most-charting female singer in history. Starting out in the gospel choir at her Baptist church, in Detroit, Franklin began her career as a recording artist in 1960, aged just 18.
Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Sinatra and Hendrix - these and many others of the world's most famous musicians have had the "perfect" or "absolute" pitch.
Which actors did their own singing in The Greatest Showman? ›Everyone does their own singing with the exception of Rebecca Ferguson, who plays Swedish singing sensation Jenny Lind and has a show-stopping number that brings lip syncing to the height of art.
Who sings Hugh Jackman's part in The Greatest Showman? ›Why Jeremy Jordan Sang For Hugh Jackman During Greatest Showman Demo. Broadway star Jeremy Jordan stood in for Hugh Jackman during The Greatest Showman's demo – here's why Jackman had to sit out during the read-through.
Who did singing in The Greatest Showman? ›
- "The Greatest Show" (performed by Hugh Jackman, Keala Settle, Zac Efron, Zendaya) ...
- "A Million Dreams" (performed by Ziv Zaifman, Jackman, Michelle Williams) ...
- "A Million Dreams (Reprise)" (performed by Austyn Johnson, Cameron Seely, Jackman)
Rebecca Ferguson played opera singer Jenny Lind in The Greatest Showman, surprising viewers with the number “Never Enough,” but that wasn't her singing – here's who it really was and why. Musical films have always been popular, more so when they feature well-known actors who may or may not have musical backgrounds.
Is Hugh Jackman a trained dancer? ›Hugh Jackman
While he gained a lot of recognition for his appearances in blockbuster movies like X-Men and Wolverine, Jackman began his performance career in musical theater and trained at the prestigious Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) at the Edith Cowan University.
He sang on all the demos, bought his own plane. broadway. 4me According to Deadline, Disney will be airing promo trailer spots for 4 to 6 new movies including “The Little Mermaid”!...
Can Bradley Cooper sing in real life? ›The actor does all the singing himself, and took six months of guitar and piano lessons to prepare for his role. Is Bradley Cooper really playing the guitar in A Star is Born? > Cooper's vocals are remarkably authentic.
Did Hugh Jackman take singing lessons? ›“In my contract, they made me have a singing lesson every week,” Jackman told Playbill in 2017. “I came to singing late…. I was learning on the job.”
Did Hugh Jackman do the dancing in The Greatest Showman? ›After his long stint as Wolverine, Jackman returns to the screen singing and dancing in larger-than-life musical The Greatest Showman.
Will there be The Greatest Showman 2? ›As Jackman has said, there are currently no plans for a sequel to The Greatest Showman happening with Disney or 20th Century Studios, but there are not many original musicals that gain the kind of attention the film generated, and fewer that people are still talking about years later.
Why did Zac Efron lip sync in HSM? ›The reason for this is because Efron's natural voice was too low for that of a tenor and the producers wanted a tenor to match the role. Efron did, however, do all of his own singing in the sequels, as all the music in those films had been tailored specifically for his voice.
Did PT Barnum have a relationship with Jenny Lind? ›No. Barnum never had a romance with Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind. There was no picture of them kissing in the newspaper, prompting Barnum's wife Charity to temporarily leave him when he returned from the tour with Lind.
Was Greatest Showman a true story? ›
Yes indeed. The Greatest Showman follows the true story of P.T. Barnum's rise to fame with his circus, though some details are slightly exaggerated. Zac Efron's character, Phillip Carlyle, along with his love interest Anne Wheeler, played by Zendaya, are fictional characters.