Why Hugh Jackman Purposefully Suffered Dehydration On The Set Of Les Misérables

Taking a brief break from slashing up bad guys as Wolverine, Hugh Jackman signed on to appear in 2012's "Les Misérables" from director Tom Hooper. The feature sees Jackman take on the role of Jean Valjean: a former prisoner in a 19th-century French prison who manages to turn his life around, staying one step ahead of those seeking to take him down once and for all. Jackman excels in the role, delivering a strong performance and giving the musical numbers an honest try while contending with an uncomfortable self-induced body transformation.

Jackman famously underwent dehydration to authentically bring Valjean's worn, sickly appearance to the silver screen early in the film, losing roughly 15 pounds. "You lose up to 10 pounds of water weight, mainly from the exterior of the body. But it was really brutal," Jackman recalled to The Hollywood Reporter, noting that extreme thirst and throbbing headaches were a part of his extreme preparation. Hooper admits that he wondered if he should discourage Jackman from such measures, but he ultimately didn't stop the actor from doing it. Thankfully, he avoided any serious health scares and regained around 30 pounds by the end of production.

Of course, if you've followed Jackman's Hollywood career, then it should come as no surprise that he went above and beyond for his "Les Misérables" body transformation. In fact, he's still going to great physical lengths for his film roles.

After 2017's "Logan" came and went from cinemas, it seemed that Hugh Jackman's run as Wolverine had officially come to an end. However, come 2022, it came to light that he'd don the adamantium claws one more time for "Deadpool 3," joining Ryan Reynolds' Merc with a Mouth for the highly-anticipated threequel. Of course, to give his version of Wolverine another send-off, Jackman isn't phoning anything in. Once again, he's putting his nose to the grindstone to transform his body to become everyone's favorite clawed Canucklehead.

Ever since the news broke of Jackman's return to the Marvel fold, the actor has filled his Instagram page with videos and images documenting his return to Wolverine shape. Often accompanied by "#BecomingWolverineAgain," these posts cover his grueling workouts, meal prep, and more, making it abundantly clear that he has his sights set on yet another shocking body transformation. Suffice to say, he's already in pretty incredible shape, especially for someone well on his way to 60 years old.

Whether the project in question is "Les Misérables" or "Deadpool 3," evidently, Jackman isn't one to shy away from major changes to his physique.