Art
A Golden Icon Award for Australian actor Hugh Jackman
Good looking, talented and funny: Jackman has it all
Tonight the directors of ZFF, Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri, warmly welcomed Hugh Jackman on the green carpet in Bellevue, a few minutes before the Gala Première of Prisoners.
Outside of the Corso cinema lines of enthusiastic fans had been waiting for him, hoping to get a glimpse of the man who was named in 2008 the sexiest man alive!
Hugh Jackman copyright Vivamost.com
For a good half an hour Jackman paused with his fans, gave hugs, signed autographs and shook hands. People kept on screaming as he was going back and forth, trying to satisfy the most fans as he could.
Jackman and his fans copyright ZFF
The 44 year old charming Australian actor came to Zurich to receive the Golden Icon Award, a prestigious award previously given to Richard Gere, Sean Penn and Michael Douglas.
In the afternoon Jackman said it was a privilege for him to be here and grateful to the festival for this award. He said how Swiss he felt when answering a question to a reporter about what a Swiss may look like. She had suggested Swiss are on time, love chocolate and have plenty of money!
I am normally on time, I love chocolate and, yes, I am very rich, he responded while bursting into laughter!
Hugh Jackman smiling at press conference – copyright Vivamost.com
That he loves Switzerland, with a uncle teaching at the Geneva International School is not his only connection to the country. He joyfully shared that his parents met in Interlaken at a resort when his mother was 19 years old. “If it was not for Switzerland, there would be no Hugh Jackman!” he confessed.
Villleneuve, Leo, Davis and Jackman in Zurich copyright Vivamost
Melissa Leo, Kira Davis and Hugh Jackman copyright Vivamost.com
The 30 minute ceremony included a retrospective of Jackman’s brillant career, speeches from Karl Spoerri and the evening moderator, Steven Gätjen, and some words from some of the Prisoners cast.
“Hugh Jackman is in a class by himself as a multi-talented entertainer with a global following,” once said co-directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri. “There is nothing he can’t do and he proves this time and time again with every project he’s involved in.”
Tonight Spoerri described him as a “true artist.”
Golden Icon Award Jackman and Karl Spoerri copyright Vivamost
Jackman delighted the crowd in the cinema when he said in a long sentence thank you in German. He joke saying having rehearsed all day and that his father would be proud of him!
Hugh Jackman receiving award at ZFF copyright Vivamost
Jackman, who started in movies in 1999, was seen in popular films such as Kate & Leopold (2000), in Happy Feet (Memphis voice, 2005), in Woody Allen’s Scoop (2006), in Baz Luhrmann’s Australia (2008), in the X-Men series and in Wolverine in X-men origins (2009). More recently he played Jean Valjean in Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables (2012) next to co-actors Anne Hathaway and Russell Crowe.
Jackman in Prisoners copyright Elite Film AG
Jackman did not come alone to present his thriller, Prisoners, but side by side with Canadian director Denis Villeneuve (Oscar nominee for Incendies), actress and jury member Melissa Leo and one of the producers of the film, Kira Davis. In the film Jackman plays a determined father doing everything he can to find his 6 years old daughter, kidnapped during Thanksgiving. Co-star Jake Gyllenhaal, plays the detective.
Denis Villeneuve copyright Vivamost
Kira davis, Denis Villeneuve, Mellissa Leo and Hugh Jackman copyright Vivamost
Jackman, the Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe and Tony Award winning actor also won on Friday at the San Sebastian Film Festival a Donastia Award for his life achievement.
On his way back home to his wife and kids for a well deserved rest, he jokingly said today that he hopes they all have an award for him when he arrives!
If not, it surely won’t be too long before Hugh Jackman wins another award! He definitely won the hearts of many in Zurich tonight!
Prisoners came out in theaters in the United States on September 20th. It will be out in Switzerland on October 3rd.
