‘Les Miserables’: Hugh Jackman, Eddie Redmayne went after roles
Hugh Jackman stalked Tom Hooper; Eddie Redmayne sent in an audition on his iPhone. In fact, according to the British actor, all of Hollywood “leapt out of the musical theater closet†to try to land a part in Hooper’s adaptation of “Les Miserables.â€
Such was the discussion at The Envelope Screening Series for Universal Pictures’ musical “Les Miserables.†The discussion also included actresses Anne Hathaway and Amanda Seyfried.
Jackman admitted that once the stalking ended and he landed the part, he did have a brief moment of, “Oh, wow, now I’ve got to do it.†But for Hooper, spending three hours with Jackman auditioning gave the director the confidence to eliminate most of the script’s dialogue in exchange for a sung-through musical.
“The key to this is hiring actors who have such a facility, such a confidence expressing themselves through song,†that audiences accept the altered reality being created, Hooper said.
For more on Jackman, Redmayne and their quest for the roles, take a look at the video above.
ALSO:
Envelope Screening Series: full videos
Hugh Jackman gets his star on the walk of fame
SAG Awards nominations 2013: ‘Lincoln,’ ‘Les Miz,’ ‘Silver Linings’
From the Oscars to the Emmys.
Get the Envelope newsletter for exclusive awards season coverage, behind-the-scenes stories from the Envelope podcast and columnist Glenn Whipp’s must-read analysis.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
