Hugh Jackman Says Wolverine’s “Growling and Yelling” Damaged His Voice

After more than two decades of playing Wolverine in the X-Men film franchise, Hugh Jackman is opening up about the toll that the role has taken on his voice.

During an episode of BBC’s Front Row, the Les Misérables actor details the damage as a result of playing the mutant superhero.

“My falsetto is not as strong as it used to be and that I directly put down to some of the growling and yelling,” Jackman said. “My voice teacher in drama school would’ve been horrified by some of the things I did [in Wolverine].”

When he isn’t playing in his iconic action-packed roles, The Greatest Showman star is also known for his singing and dancing parts on Broadway, like Oklahoma!, A Steady Rain, The River and The Music Man, which rely on a strong vocal range. Jackman added that he is working on improving his voice for future projects.

“We learned the technique [in school] of how to shout and how to yell without ruining your voice. However, during Wolverine, I did some screaming and yelling and things that I think did damage my voice, which I think I’m working on,” he said. “I work with a singing teacher, and I make sure that I try not to hurt myself. And I really put a lot of effort into both physical movement, and my vocal preparation for every role.”

The last time fans saw Jackman as the Wolverine was in 2017’s Logan. But the actor is set to reprise his role in the upcoming Shawn Levy-directed Deadpool 3, which also stars Ryan Reynolds.

Last year, Reynolds revealed that Deadpool 3 will open on Sept. 6, 2024.

A previous version misstated when Jackman last appeared as Wolverine.