“Everyone takes a shower every day, and we don’t complain about it. We do it out of discipline. There will always be an excuse not to meditate.” — Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman (@TheHughJackman) is an Academy Award®-nominated, Golden Globe- and Tony Award-winning performer, who has made an impression on audiences of all ages with his multi-hyphenate career persona, as successful onstage in front of live crowds as he is on film.
I’ve wanted to have Hugh on the show for nearly a decade, and—even with my sky-high hopes—he absolutely over-delivered. In our conversation, we dig into lessons learned, routines, favorite books, exercises, intuition, meditation, and much, much more. Hugh was very gracious with his time, and this is one of the longest interviews he has ever done.
Trust me—Hugh delivers the goods, and we had a blast. Enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.
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What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…
Want to hear the podcast episode that turned Hugh on to a cornucopia of new books for his daily morning reading routine? Check out “Books I’ve Loved” with Seth Godin and Esther Perel.
SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
- Connect with Hugh Jackman:
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
- PortraitPuzzles.com
- X-Men Film Series In Order | IMDb
- Star Trek: The Next Generation Synopsis | Star Trek
- Books I’ve Loved — Seth Godin and Esther Perel | The Tim Ferriss Show #402
- The 4 Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss
- Watch Hugh Jackman Audition for Wolverine, the Role that Would Change His Life | IGN
- The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life by David Brooks
- No Kid Hungry
- Share Our Strength
- Here is New York by E.B. White
- This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life by David Foster Wallace
- This is Water by David Foster Wallace (Full Transcript and Audio) | Farnam Street
- The Overstory: A Novel by Richard Powers
- Transcendental Meditation
- How to Cage the Monkey Mind | The Tim Ferriss Show #175
- Peloton
- Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis | Cleveland Clinic
- Kim Swims | Prime Video
- Chariots Of Fire | Prime Video
- Hugh Jackman to Star in The Music Man on Broadway | Playbill
- Mantra: Om Paramatmane Namah with Anuradha Choudry | YogaAnytime
- Waking Up with Sam Harris App | Waking Up
- Hugh Jackman on Marriage and Family | Good Housekeeping
- What is the Origin of the Christian Fish Symbol? | Christianity Today
- Adopt Change
- Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)
- Neighbours | Prime Video
- Royal Shakespeare Company | RSC
- University of Technology Sydney
- PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
- Sliding Doors | Prime Video
- Ken Burns — A Master Filmmaker on Creative Process, the Long Game, and the Noumenal | The Tim Ferriss Show #386
- The Civil War: A Film By Ken Burns | Prime Video
- The Vietnam War: A Film By Ken Burns and Lynn Novick | Prime Video
- Baseball: A Film by Ken Burns | Prime Video
- The Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife (FNPW)
- Tamarama Rock Surfers | Wikipedia
- Stoicism Resources and Recommendations | tim.blog
- Hugh Jackman in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast as Gaston | Repeat Attenders
- Hugh Jackman in Sunset Boulevard | Repeat Attenders
- Oklahoma! | Prime Video
- Hugh Jackman in The Boy From Oz | Broadway JLM
- Playing Shakespeare with John Barton | Prime Video
- The Greatest Showman | Prime Video
- The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai | Prime Video
- Oprah Interviews Hugh Jackman
- Rowing Machine Model D | Concept2
- Australia | Prime Video
- The New Interval Strategy in Workout: Employ 85% Rule | Furthermore
- Quality Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles | Wentworth Wooden Puzzles
- Custom Photo Jigsaw Puzzles | Portrait Puzzles PortraitPuzzles.com
- Hugh Jackman Puzzles His Fans Live on Instagram with Unexpected Move | The Best Social Media
SHOW NOTES
Note from the editor: Timestamps will be added shortly.
- Hugh and his wife have a tradition of reading books — sometimes to each other — every morning. From whom did this idea originate?
- What books has Hugh gifted most?
- What does Hugh’s regular meditation practice look like, and what benefits does he enjoy from it?
- How does Hugh summon and maintain the emotional and physical energy necessary for performing — particularly when he has to give his all multiple times per week on stage in front of a live audience?
- As someone who’s performed across countless stage and screen productions, why was Hugh nervous about coming on this podcast?
- What lessons did Hugh’s father teach him about being an example to others by way of action, making decisions, and always keeping his word?
- To what does Hugh owe his eloquent (or, as his wife might say, “too verbose”) communication skills?
- Hugh’s relationship with journalism, journalists, and a newfound love for the work of Ken Burns.
- Hugh talks about the contract he made with himself at the end of drama school about pursuing acting — and being wary of the word “career” in relation to that pursuit.
- Some of the best decisions Hugh made in the first years of being an aspiring/working actor.
- Why does Hugh think he was extended the kindness of auditioning for Sir Trevor Nunn — one of his idols — even though he had no intention of accepting a part in the musical he was directing?
- How has Hugh learned to trust his intuition — even when it leads him in unexpected directions?
- Can Hugh recall any times when the purpose of a nudge from intuition wasn’t easily fathomed — when the dots didn’t connect in an obvious way, but paid off in a big way when it was heeded?
- Am I talking to Hugh Jackman, or Perfect Tommy?
- Hugh elaborates on one of his daily morning practices — the design of the day — pondering the efficacy of manifestation and how it played into a major career decision.
- Hugh puts discipline in perspective, talks about the importance of incorporating relaxation into physical activity (or possibly any activity) for best results, the types of exercises he’s found to be most effective, and a Viktor Frankl quotation that he finds especially inspiring.
- Hugh is a connoisseur of puzzles and games. So what does he recommend for someone who needs to unwind from taking themselves and their work too seriously? Furthermore, what is it about puzzles that keeps him occupied all night if he doesn’t remember to set an alarm for himself?
- Parting thoughts.
PEOPLE MENTIONED
- Deborra-Lee Furness
- Patrick Stewart
- Professor X
- Esther Perel
- Seth Godin
- Wolverine
- David Brooks
- Billy Shore
- E.B. White
- David Foster Wallace
- Gary Hart
- Kim Chambers
- Eric Liddell
- Lisle Jones
- David Attenborough
- Sam Harris
- Christopher Jackman
- Grace McNeil
- Billy Graham
- Brené Brown
- Queen Elizabeth II
- Kylie Minogue
- Guy Pearce
- Margot Robbie
- Ian Jackman
- Ralph Jackman
- Michael Jordan
- Ken Burns
- Simon Lyndon
- Ryan Holiday
- Gaston
- Sir Trevor Nunn
- John Burton
- Jesus
- Joseph Campbell
- Lauren Zander
- Dr. Mark Hyman
- Michael Gracey
- Beth Lewis
- Baz Luhrmann
- Viktor Frankl
- Carl Lewis
- Roger Federer
- Luciano Pavarotti