Anne Hathaway fully understands why Hugh Jackman is considered one of the nicest men in showbusiness after witnessing the extent of his temper tantrum on the set of Les Miserables.
The Devil Wears Prada star was presenting Jackman with the Hollywood Actor honour at the Hollywood Film Awards on Sunday (04Nov18), when she recalled the stress the actors were under while filming the 2012 movie musical, in which she and Hugh sang every take live.
The pressure of the shoot with director Tom Hooper had Hugh riled up, and he let his typically calm and collected demeanour slip ever so slightly during a break in between scenes with Anne.
"I once saw Hugh Jackman, the nicest guy in Hollywood, lose his s**t," Hathaway began.
"We had been at it (filming) for hours and were long past the point of exhaustion, in that particular place only Tom Hooper or childbirth can get you," she shared, recalling how she saw Hugh with a "stormy" look on his face and a "thousand-mile stare".
"I knew I had to say something so I said, 'Are you OK, man?'" Anne continued. "Hugh drew in a ragged, powerful breath, locked his gaze on mine and said through gritted teeth, 'Annie, it's a lot.'"
Hathaway had fully expected Jackman to have a full-blown tantrum, so his mild response came as quite the surprise.
"That's it, that's the worst behaviour I have seen from Hugh Jackman!" she quipped, as the celebrity-filled crowd laughed in response.
"I tell the story to make the point, as much as you would like to flip the script on Hugh Jackman, you can't," she continued. "He has never, not once, used his artistry to get away with being a jerk."
As a bashful Hugh made his way to the stage to accept the prize for his role in political drama The Front Runner, he smiled, "Annie, you make me sound so annoying!"
Jackman wasn't the only star celebrated at the Hollywood Film Awards - his fellow Australian, Nicole Kidman was honoured with the Hollywood Career Achievement Award, Glenn Close picked up the Hollywood Actress Award for The Wife, and Timothee Chalamet picked up the Supporting Actor title for Beautiful Boy.
Other winners at the Beverly Hills event included The Hate U Give's Amandla Stenberg and BlacKkKlansman's John David Washington, who each earned Breakout Performance accolades, Damien Chazelle (Hollywood Director Award for First Man), Black Panther (Hollywood Film Award), and the cast of Crazy Rich Asians, who landed the Hollywood Breakout Ensemble Award.
