Hugh Jackman advises new grads that the most powerful career cues are ‘often disguised as failure’

“My life has not gone the way I thought it would,” Jackman recently told graduates of Ball State University during his commencement speech. “A lot of the best things that have ever happened to me have been mistakes or failures or random classes I joined to get me across the finish line.”

It may come as a surprise that the Oscar-nominated star, who has graced the silver screen in hits like Les Misérables and Wolverine, still wrestles with failure. Jackman spent decades honing his craft and racking up accolades across film, TV, and theater, becoming one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood, and even the fifth highest-paid actor of 2024. 

However, the 57-year-old actor’s career would look starkly different today if it weren’t for his mistakes in college. Jackman finally found his true calling after spending years walking down a different professional path—and even his transition to the stage was a bumpy ride. He’s continued to fail in the years to come, but recognizes that it’s all part of the process.

“I could cherry pick some stories that illustrate that with strong goal setting, hard work, and just a touch of luck, you too will reach the top. But I’m here to tell you that life just doesn’t work out like that,” Jackman continued. “Well, certainly not for me. For most of my life, I just didn’t know…And I don’t mean [at] 22 or 27, I mean six months ago.”

Jackman ‘failed’ into an acting career—and tells grads to trust their intuition 

Long before Jackman was starring in The Greatest Showman, he was a communications student majoring in journalism at University of Technology Sydney. Jackman says he was doing “the bare minimum” to get his bachelor’s degree, but realized that in order to graduate, he needed to take one more elective course. His friend recommended taking the “easiest” one available: theater appreciation. 

For the first three weeks, Jackman didn’t even show up to the course. And when he finally did, the budding actor was randomly assigned to play the lead in the class play. Jackman says that he “practically crawled” under his desk in fear, but stuck with the assignment to graduate. And as they were touring the play at a local university, something clicked—“every cell” in Jackman’s body was telling him he had finally found his true calling. Although he had spent years pursuing a different career, he decided to cut his losses and make a hard pivot. Then came another roadblock.

Jackman auditioned for a one-year acting course at private dramatic arts school Actor Centre Australia in Sydney, and earned a spot in the competitive 20-person cohort. However, the program also required a $3,500 check, and the young actor didn’t have the money on hand. But sometimes, fate has a different way of making things work out.

Throwing the acceptance letter in the trash, Jackman wrote off the idea of being able to attend—but the very next day, a $3,500 check serendipitously came in the mail from his grandmother’s will. So he fished the letter out of the bin and didn’t look back, never missing another day of class ever again.

“Some would insist it was a pure coincidence. Who knows? But wherever they come from, are the signs always that obvious? No,” Jackman said. “In fact, usually they’re quiet, subtle, and even more often disguised as failure.”

The Tony winner chronicled how it wasn’t the last time he made mistakes throughout his career. He once ignored a nagging feeling and starred in a movie that he knew he “wasn’t right for,” which subsequently panned at the box office—and in the past, he’s grimaced about some of his films, like Movie 43. Another time he went against his gut and turned down a part in Australian jukebox musical The Boy From Oz, which he regretfully said was “one of the greatest roles I have ever seen.” From those missteps, he learned to trust his instinct and follow what feels right. And he advises young graduates to do the same—no matter if it’s scary, or even doesn’t pay much. 

“I felt the pain of not having listened to that voice inside. And right then and there, I told myself that I would always listen to my gut from that moment on,” Jackman said. 

“How do you trust that intuition? Well, let’s first of all, let’s throw away ‘perfect,’” he continued. “Let’s also embrace that even the mistakes may turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to us. But if it scares you, [it’s] probably a good sign. If it excites you, [it’s] a very good sign. And if you weren’t sure you were going to make a dime doing it, but you still want to pursue it, [it’s an] amazing sign.”