When Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine Role Almost Got Him Detained At The Airport — Here’s What Happened

Before getting his breakthrough role of Wolverine in the X-Men movies, Hugh Jackman nearly got detained at the airport over a visa mix-up. A surprising encounter saved the day and possibly his career. Scroll down to know what exactly happened.

By
Pranshu Awasthi
- May 1, 2025 | 6:36 PM IST
• Follow Us
• Join Us

Just before becoming a globally popular name in the cinematic world, Hugh Jackman was stuck at an airport hours before the X-Men shoot. According to an earlier interview with Jimmy Kemmel on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Hugh Jackman confessed how he lied at an airport to avoid deportation.

The Story Behind Hugh Jackman’s Airport Detention Scare

As per the story, back in the year 2000, when he wasn’t a well-known movie star, Hugh Jackman went to Toronto, gave an audition, and got the part of Wolverine. But the real drama began when he was asked to be present the very next day for the shooting schedule. He had to travel between Los Angeles and Toronto but didn’t have a visa. Someone from the film unit suggested that he lie at the airport, saying that he was just auditioning for the part. That’s what Jackman did, and the lie got him into trouble.

The man at the airport counter quizzed Hugh Jackman about more details related to his recent travels, and that got the actor stumped. When the X-Men actor realized that the officer had caught his lie, he broke down and told him the real story. He was detained in a room for 1.5 hours and wasn’t even allowed a phone call. Just when he thought he was going to jail and lost the role of a lifetime, he was informed that he would be deported.

View Quiz

How Did He Get Out of the Mess?

Finally, when Hugh Jackman told the officer that he was supposed to play a character called Wolverine in the X-Men movie adaptation, the officer was so impressed that he let him go, and that too with a police escort and an autograph. To sum it up, Hugh Jackman ended up playing Wolverine because the airport officer was a massive X-Men fan. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even be reading this right now.

Eventually, Hugh Jackman became a widely admired celebrity after starring in Bryan Singer’s X-Men, followed by nine X-Men films until the most recent one, ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ co-starring Ryan Reynolds.

What’s Next For Hugh Jackman?

The Oscar-nominated actor will next be seen in a musical drama titled ‘Song Sung Blue’ co-starring Kate Hudson, a live-action animated film ‘Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie’ written by Craig Mazin (of Chernobyl fame), and the action drama ‘The Death of Robin Hood’, a darker version of Robin Hood’s story.

For more such stories, check out Hollywood

Must Read: Glenn Close To Bradley Cooper: 15 Stars Who Still Haven’t Won An Oscar

Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Google News