Hugh Jackman (The Prestige) The Prestige
Jackman played the showman who cannot invent and cannot stop performing
Robert Angier is the better performer but the lesser magician -- a man whose charisma compensates for a lack of original invention. Jackman was cast precisely because that tension mirrored his own background. As a theater performer with years of live stage work, Jackman understood what it meant to sell a trick to an audience. (wikipedia)
"Both of them are very good magicians. Borden is kind of a genius magician, ultimately better than my character. But my character is much more a natural showman." — Hugh Jackman, Empire (2006)
"My character is someone who is a natural on stage. A good magician but not a fantastic magician, but a great entertainer." — Hugh Jackman, MovieWeb (2006)
Jackman modeled Angier's stage presence on Channing Pollock, a 1950s-era magician known for immaculate showmanship. He visited Las Vegas to watch working magicians perform and studied the relationship between performer and audience. (wikipedia)
The magic training was deliberately incomplete
Ricky Jay and Michael Weber trained both leads, but only taught what each shot required. The actors were kept ignorant of broader technique -- a creative choice that gave their performances the same incomplete knowledge their characters possess. Jackman found the limitation frustrating and illuminating.
"We didn't learn as much as you'd think... I couldn't show you anything." — Hugh Jackman, JoBlo (2006)
"I was impressed with how much acting is involved with magic... You have to convince yourself." — Hugh Jackman, MovieWeb (2006)
The limited training extended to performance anxiety. Jackman described genuine nervousness shooting the magic sequences, his hands shaking on camera -- a vulnerability that served Angier's character, a man who must sell confidence he does not feel.
"I've never been so nervous acting, by the way. My hands were shaking." — Hugh Jackman, IndieLondon (2006)
Jackman chose the role of Angier over Borden
Nolan initially presented both roles to Jackman. After reading the script, Jackman recognized that Angier's showmanship aligned with his own strengths as a performer, while Bale's intensity suited the secretive craftsman.
"After seeing him he did ask which I preferred and I said Angier was probably better suited to me." — Hugh Jackman, Empire (2006)
Nolan's approach gave actors unusual freedom
Jackman noted that Nolan ran the set with unusual efficiency and minimal fuss. The predominantly handheld shooting style, with Wally Pfister operating the camera himself, meant less time setting up equipment and more time performing.
"He's incredibly communicative. Everyone loves him because he's incredibly prepared." — Hugh Jackman, IndieLondon (2006)
"The script that we shot was pretty much the script that I read." — Hugh Jackman, IndieLondon (2006)
The film's trick is also the camera's trick
Jackman identified the paradox at the heart of filming magic: practical effects look fake on screen, while camera tricks look real. The audience's default assumption that cinema involves manipulation means that even genuine sleight-of-hand is dismissed.
"You can do a trick perfectly and everyone will presume it's a trick of the camera. That's in fact the genius of the story." — Hugh Jackman, MovieWeb (2006)