Hugh Jackman explains how he failed his “Miss Congeniality” audition

• Hugh Jackman nearly played the love lead in Miss Congeniality.
• He admitted that Sandra Bullock’s iconic agent-undercover Gracie Hart served as his audition partner for the part of FBI agent Eric Matthews in Miss Congeniality.
• Jackman later played Wolverine in the popular X-Men series, and in the upcoming third Deadpool film, he will reprise the role.

 Hugh Jackman nearly played the love lead in Miss Congeniality. In an interview, he admitted that Sandra Bullock’s iconic agent-undercover Gracie Hart served as his audition partner for the part of FBI agent Eric Matthews in Miss Congeniality.

The 54-year-old actor claimed he wasn’t particularly interested in playing the lead, but his agency urged him to do it so they could discuss a different part.

“No one knew X-Men yet,” Jackman said. “I was a nobody.”

So he entered to read with Bullock, who is now 58 and said it wasn’t very successful. He noted that it was his first time conducting testing with an additional actor. “The fact that she was there impressed me. She wasn’t in there, which surprised me. Eight people, I’m assuming, were used in the test.”

When they began reading, Jackman claimed he was astounded.

“‘Holy s—-! She’s incredible! And everything happened so quickly. I’m not even really up to date,” “He remembered considering Bullock. I tried to peddle as quickly as I could, but I wasn’t familiar enough with the script.

He was passed over for the part, which went to Benjamin Bratt, and he claimed it turned out to be a career low point.

“That’s humiliating, when your agent says, ‘I don’t want you to get this job, but just go get it.’ And then you don’t get it,” Jackman said.

Both X-Men and Miss Congeniality were released in 2000. Jackman later played Wolverine in the popular X-Men series, and in the upcoming third Deadpool film, he will reprise the role.

Jackman and Ryan Reynolds made the announcement in September. In an interview with PEOPLE on Tuesday, Jackman said his role will be considerably more substantial than a cameo.

“I think being on set with [Ryan] every day and those two on film in every city together every day … I think it’s fair to say they’ll be punching the s— out of each other the whole time,” Jackman said.

“All jokes aside, I’ll probably have more fun in this movie than any other I’ve ever done,” he adds.

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