Hugh Jackman Opens Up About the Rumored Steroid Use: ‘I Don’t Love My Job That Much’

Wolverine is a power-packed superhero in the X-Men franchise and it is safe to say that it does take a lot of adrenaline to portray the famed role. Impressively, Jackman embodied the role for over a decade and he is set to reprise it in a coming movie. Speaking to HBO's Chris Wallace on Who's Talking To Chris Wallace?, the star answered some burning questions surrounding his zest for playing Wolverine. Wallace made it known that over the years, there have been questions and talks suggesting Jackman probably "juiced." He then proceeded to ask the 54-year-old if he took steroids.

Jackman went straight to the point letting the host know that he never took steroids. He proceeded to state that he loved his job as well as loved playing Wolverine, but there was a warning concerning the side effects of steroids. The Logan actor shared:

The star elaborated that he ate a lot of chicken, as he briefly apologized to vegans, and "to the chickens of the world." He also noted that this would also be part of the routine when he resumed training for his upcoming role in Deadpool 3, while jokingly asking the chickens to "start running."

When it comes to preparing for the fitness-filled role, The Greatest Showman Star has learned to take things in stride. He told Wallace that his routine would be stretched over a period of six months. The award-winner stated that he had learned that things could not be reached and that it took time to get results. The Van Helsing star added that he had six months to prepare after he is done with his current Broadway project, The Music Man.

The dad-of-two relayed that after he's done with Broadway, he would be home with his family, and his main job would be to train for Wolverine. Jackman mentioned that he was currently fit, having been busy with eight shows a week, and "being on Broadway." The Les Miserables star relayed that he was healthy and had a good place to start.

When Jackman was selected to play Wolverine, back in the 2000s, he has no idea what the role entailed. He shared that he had never read the comic book, and didn't really know anything. He mentioned how they did not have wolverines in his home country of Australia, and that was also part of his lack of knowledge.

Still speaking about his notice era, the actor shared that he even thought the animal was made up. He noted, "You know, like, he’s got man hands of steel, made up."

He then recalled how he has been doing rehearsals at the IMAX when he happened upon a documentary about wolves. Jackman thought that was the perfect opportunity to learn more about his role. So he soaked up the knowledge and was soon on his way to start shooting.

Per Variety, the movie star narrated how he went on set prepared to deliver his wolf moves and surprise the crew. However, while the director was shocked by what he was doing, it was not out of awe, but rather out of confusion. That was when he learned that the wolverine was a real animal.

He first became acquainted with the role in 2000 when he appeared on X-Men. After that, he went on to play the recurring role in 10 more films from the franchise. Back in September 2022, he and Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds announced in a clip that they would be returning to the MCU.