Hugh Jackman

It�s tough-going to pen a scintillating profile of a newly minted entertainment commodity. Established personages are blessed with a body of online literature from which to cull morsels of biography, scandal, heartache and lunacy, whereas research on their recently arrived counterparts seldom yields anything more profound than a Yahoo!GeoCities fan site or a Joan & Melissa Rivers fashion police rap sheet.

So it goes with Hugh Jackman, the hunky Australian actor who, with the help of special effects and hair extensions that would frighten Al Sharpton, literally leapt to international celebrity with his portrayal of Logan/Wolverine in the live-action version of Marvel Comics� revered �X-Men� (2000). Despite this break-out performance, Jackman�s a thespian with relatively few worldwide gigs to his credit, and he still has a way to go before he would make for an engaging installment of an �E! True Hollywood Story.�

This, however, is not to say that he hasn�t already made a mark in the industry. Jackman, who was born in Sydney in 1968, studied journalism at university then attended the Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts. In short order he began what would develop into a very respectable career on the island continent, starting with his debut gig in a ratings-heavy television drama called �Corelli,� on the set of which he met bride-to-be Deborrah-Lee Furness.

He parlayed his success with �Corelli� into other TV roles, big and small, and heeded his muse when it suggested the theater, an arena into which many are drawn but few triumph. Jackman received rave notices for �Sunset Boulevard� and �Beauty and the Beast,� and in so doing secured himself a place among Australia�s entertainment select.

Things really heated up in 1998, the year he was nominated for an Oliver for his performance as Curly McLain in Trevor Nunn�s Royal National Theater production of �Oklahoma!� (Apparently, Jackman can sing up a storm ... and strum a guitar and tickle the ivories. He also likes windsurfing and golf. Loves his mom too.) The following year brought Jackman more kudos when he garnered a Best Actor nomination from the Australian Film Institute for his work in �Erskineville Kings,� an �urban drama� in which he played a man estranged from his brother.

Still, we�re talking about a guy who hasn�t yet staked his claim to superstardom, hasn�t found the right territory to musk with his scent. Jackman�s three roles in 2001 -- in the romantic comedy �Someone Like You� (opposite Ashley Judd), in �Kate and Leopold� (opposite Meg Ryan) and in �Swordfish� (sandwiched between John Travolta and Halle Berry) -- might have established him as a respectable presence in Hollywood, but they weren�t exactly rockets to which he could tether himself and zoom into the A-List firmament. Judd�s audience is limited, and the movie was essentially marshmallow fluff. Ryan, a seasoned veteran compared to Jack-O, hasn�t discovered a new character or cultivated new mannerisms since �When Harry Met Sally.� And let�s not mince words: Jackman or Travolta didn�t make �Swordfish� the talk of the town -- the culprits were Barry�s bare breasts, poolside.

But fear not, for Hugh Jackman�s time is nigh. He will be a house-, hut-, igloo-, bunker-, cave-, mansion- and bario- hold name. Why? Why, a sequel, fair readers! A sequel! Even if you�re a jaded pop culture pessimist who scoffs at hype, you cannot deny the idol-making potential of Jackman�s next project, �X2� (or, depending on your sources, �X-Men 2�), which is sure to give �Spider-Man� a run for its box office money. Jackman will reprise his role of Logan/Wolverine and Barry, now an eternally hot commodity thanks to her Oscar, will return as Storm. Two movies do not a franchise make, but rest assured �X-Men� is another Stan Lee creation that will see the dark of movie theaters time and again.

So things are looking up for Hugh Jackman. He�s due to return to the stage this year in �The Boy From Oz,� he has a sure-fire blockbuster with �X2,� he�s been one of People Magazine�s �most beautiful� for three consecutive years and Internet gossips have him pegged for a role in the �Star Wars� finale. Entertainment profilers and Jules Asner rejoice: This decade will undoubtedly see an astronomical increase in the volume of literature about this soon-to-be superstar available for exploitation.