Australian actor Hugh Jackman has pulled out all the stops preparing for his new role in the Broadway play "The River," including learning how to gut a fish.
"The River," which is being shown at Circle in the Square Theatre, has had a successful run with sold-out shows, and reviewers cannot help but gush over Jackman's performance.
"Hugh Jackman ascends to a new level as a stage actor. His performance opens the shutters just enough to keep us guessing, to keep us hooked," wrote Ben Brantley of The New York Times.
USA Today called it "one of the bravest performances Hugh Jackman has ever given" while Newsday writer Linda Winer called Jackman's performance "powerful and mysterious."
The accolades he has received is only a testament of the actor's hard work. To prepare for his role as a fisherman, he practiced gutting fish everyday for months.
"I was originally a little nervous about it," Jackman admitted to the Associated Press. "I'd never done it before and I knew it had to look like he'd been doing it his whole life."
He talked to chefs and learned from them, and he practiced endlessly.
But during his first performance, Jackman was so nervous that he actually cut his finger in the show. "It was not much but it was enough of a cut and it bled the entire play. I didn't realize it was that bad. I thought it would stop," he said.
Since then, Jackman only became better in his role as a fisherman. "I'm a little slower now but now I've really got it. Now I'm really enjoying it," he said.