Hugh Jackman Dishes On ‘Bad Education’ Character, Not Playing Gay Roles On Screen

Hugh Jackman shared more details about his role in “Bad Education.”

Jackman, who is most known for playing the “X-Men” character Wolverine, is playing the controversial superintendent, Frank Tassone, in HBO movie “Bad Education” this time around. Tassone is a brilliant educator who was arrested for a multi-million dollar embezzlement charge in 2004.

Jackman recently shared with Variety how he prepared for the role and what drew him to it. According to him, he received the script and really liked it. However, he couldn’t work out the tone because it appeared like three genres in one.

In addition, Cory Finley is a second-time director, so he decided to watch his first film before saying yes. Within the first 20 minutes of Finley’s “Thoroughbreds,” Jackman already made his mind that he would do the film.

“And the role itself was something different from what I’ve done. I liked the idea of someone who is super successful, very, very good at what he did, beloved by the community — and fell down this slippery path. How can someone go from being on a pedestal in a community to being sent to prison? That part I found fascinating,” Jackman said.

When asked how he reconciled Tassone’s complicated personality from being passionate about education to bilking school funds, Jackman shared his take. For him, he did wonderful projects to justify the wrongdoings he was doing secretly.

Jackman did his research about Tassone with Amy Stevens, a dramaturg researcher. He also worked with Jess Platt to perfect his Long Island accent. He realized that there was something in Tassone that people don’t get and they just put it as “he was really gay or because he was really stealing.”

When asked why Jackman hasn’t played a gay man role on screen, the “X-Men” star explained said that 2020 is different from 2003.

“Nothing, really. It was another layer to his deception. You have to remember, and I’m not sure if audiences will get it — but 2003 was very different to 2020,” Jackman said. “I spoke with a lawyer who’s gay and he said, 'I definitely didn’t come out in 2003.' So for someone in such a public, front-facing role in a conservative Long Island neighborhood, it was understandable.”

Many believed that Tassone was gay, but he never admitted it. Jackman said that being gay was not part of the personality Tassone created to be successful, which makes it interesting to him.

In an interview with life coach Mike Bayer, Tassone admitted that he was afraid of seeing himself portrayed as a liar, cheat and thief. He hinted that he might watch the HBO movie.