Hugh Jackman compares the vulnerability he experienced while singing live on camera for the upcoming film musical Les Miserables to shooting a nude scene in front of a crew of people.
In the highly-anticipated film adaptation of the French Revolution-set musical (due Christmas day), Jackman headlines as wanted man Jean Valjean. He and costars Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, and others were required by director Tom Hooper to sing live on camera rather than lip sync to pre-recorded tracks, which is the norm for musical films (has anyone besides Streisand even attempted this before?).
Jackman, who's already generating serious best actor buzz for the film, expressed the initial discomfort he felt to Entertainment Weekly. "I suppose it was a bit like doing a nude scene," he says with a laugh. "When you take your clothes off, everybody is self-conscious, but within an hour ... It's nothing."
Ever the stalwart professional, Jackman now says it's his preferred method of filming a song. He adds, "If I ever had it do to again, I would much prefer to sing live. There's something about the crucible of that moment, where everybody - the crew, you, the music - has to come together and work. It's frightening, but it's exciting."
