Jackman armoured in 'Real Steel'
Wolverine's claws are shed for a poignant family-friendly tale of robot boxers in the near future
He was a vampire slayer in “Van Helsing”, a cattle drover in “Australia”, a magician in “The Prestige” and a gruff mutant superhero in “Wolverine”. Now Australian actor Hugh Jackman is playing a boxing promoter and dysfunctional dad in “Real Steel”.
An action-packed flick with lots of drama between father and son, “Real Steel” is the heartfelt story of a man who loses it all and tries hard to make it right – despite one bold mistake after another.
In the near future, boxing has gone hi-tech and human boxers are replaced with robots. Jackman plays washed-up boxer Charlie Kenton, who lost his chance at a title when massive steel robots took over the ring. Now a small-time promoter, he earns money piecing together low-end robots from scrap.
Just as his career hits bottom, he’s obliged to reconnect with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) and reluctantly teams up with him to build a championship contender.
With the movie opening soon in Thailand, we got a phone call from Jackman.
How did you like working with director Shawn Levy for the first time?
It was phenomenal. He’s become a genuine friend, which is not easy in this business. You can probably count on one hand the amount of friends I have who I think of as real friends.
He’s omnipresent. He knows everything that’s going on – from a producer point of view. If I go up to him as an actor and have an issue, he’ll already know what it is.
We know you like sports. What about boxing?
My father was a champion boxer in the British Army, so he talked it up as a sport, but then when my brother and I were beating the crap out of each other, he was always trying to tone it down!
But I am a fan of boxing. It’s deceptively difficult to do because I had to be in exact synch with the guy pretending to be the robot.
Sugar Ray Leonard, who came on the set, really encouraged me about what the life of a boxer is like, the difficulties and the sacrifices. He taught me not just how to box but also about what boxing was supposed to be. That was very valuable.
How did you relate to Charlie Kenton?
I know a lot of characters like him. He’s the kind of guy that’s been up and down, and there is so much in his life that happens at the wrong time. He hasn’t given up, but he chooses to shut down all the feelings and emotions. But when he realises that he has a son, it’s all about second chances.
Do you like him?
Of course – I learn to love the characters I play. I love his flaws and his strengths. He’s impulsive, and he takes huge risks. He takes all the regrets and all the things he’s done wrong and decides to move on.
I perceive failure in a different way than Charlie. I do have that sense of wanting to succeed to please myself as well as others. So I do relate to that. I can understand fully that feeling that the second chance is more frightening than the first.
How did you get along with your on-screen son?
I love the boy – he’s a brilliant actor. Off-screen he was just a sweet boy and I had a great time with him.
Did your own kids like the movie?
They loved it. They saw it the first time I saw it as well. I actually saw it with my wife, my mother-in-law and my children! They all loved it. They didn’t really talk about me too much [laughs], but they did say the robots were very cool.
Who’s your favourite robot in the movie?
I love Atom, because I love the underdog. There’s something about him, you know, he never quits and never gives up. And he just keeps coming back. I love the robot actions in this movie – it’s really exciting.
What did Sugar Ray Leonard think about robot boxers?
I’m sure he hoped the human boxers would stick around, but as we know, boxing right now is having a tough time. He said to me that boxing should really nurture the stars and tell their stories instead of just having them fight each other.
Take your shot
_ “Real Steel” opens in cinemas on Decemeber 29.
