Les Miserables became one of the greatest novels of the 19^th Century and now is one of the most successful musicals of the 20^th Century. Hollywood has taken the chance at monetary success by making a movie of the story and has spent $61 Million dollar recreating the Paris rebellion filling the screen with big movie stars like Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman. No one can be a action rugged hero, have the voice of a opera singer and tap dance his way across a Broadway stage so convincingly as Hugh Jackman who says his performance in this movie is the greatest of his life.

He won a Tony playing a gay entertainer on stage and now maybe he is Oscar material. Hugh is 44 years old and a native of Australia. In this movie Hugh plays one of the most heroic characters in literature. He plays a man in prison for stealing bread for his sister’s starving family. He is an angry sullen man who had his sentence extended to 19 years because of his wish to escape. His nemesis is the Inspector played by Russell Crowe.

The story of Les Miserables was written in 1852 by Victor Hugo and follows Hugh’s character through a revolt against the government and the hate of Russell Crow’s character. Hugh’s personal story begins in Australia where his family sailed from England. He is the youngest of five children born from an accountant and a house wife. At the age of 8 his Mom left them all. He went to school and she was back in England by the next day and was gone.

His father was left to raise the 5 children, three boys and two girls alone. His mother would visit about once a year while his father managed to find the money for private school educations for the children. Hugh went to an elite school, Knox Grammar School that was reserved for the children of Australian CEO’s and Prime Ministers. He loved being involved in the school plays.

With $3,500 he inherited from his grandmother he enrolled in acting school and at his first audition he got the part in a TV show. He met his love of his life on the show after 4 months working. They are now married for 16 years and have adopted a boy and girl who are 12 and 7 years old. His secret to a happy marriage is that he will not take any job that separates him from his family for more than 2 weeks at a time. So, they all travel together a lot.

Jackman returned for the 5^th time to the Wolverine character and that role has made him a wealthy man and an international star. He works out twice a day to maintain his great physique. Hugh Jackman has become an international treasure to the arts.