#577: Hugh Jackman on Best Decisions, Daily Routines, The 85% Rule, Favorite Exercises, Mind Training, and Much More (Repost)

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Hugh Jackman (@TheHughJackman) is an
Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe- and Tony Award-winning
performer, who has made an impression on audiences of all ages
with his multi-hyphenate career persona, as successful onstage in
front of live crowds as he is on film.


I’ve wanted to have Hugh on the show for nearly a decade,
and—even with my sky-high hopes—he absolutely over-delivered. In
our conversation, we dig into lessons learned, routines, favorite
books, exercises, intuition, meditation, and much, much more.
Hugh was very gracious with his time, and this is one of the
longest interviews he has ever done. 


Trust me—Hugh delivers the goods, and we had a blast. Enjoy!


*


This episode originally aired in 2020. You can find the
show notes
here: https://tim.blog/2020/06/26/hugh-jackman/


*


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*


Hugh and his wife have a tradition of reading books — sometimes
to each other — every morning. From whom did this idea originate?
[07:25]


What books has Hugh gifted most? [11:44]


What does Hugh’s regular meditation practice look like, and what
benefits does he enjoy from it? [15:22]


How does Hugh summon and maintain the emotional and physical
energy necessary for performing — particularly when he has to
give his all multiple times per week on stage in front of a live
audience? [19:42]


As someone who’s performed across countless stage and screen
productions, why was Hugh nervous about coming on this podcast?
[27:34]


What lessons did Hugh’s father teach him about being an example
to others by way of action, making decisions, and always keeping
his word? [29:41]


To what does Hugh owe his eloquent (or, as his wife might say,
“too verbose”) communication skills? [39:16]


Hugh’s relationship with journalism, journalists, and a newfound
love for the work of Ken Burns. [44:13]


Hugh talks about the contract he made with himself at the end of
drama school about pursuing acting — and being wary of the word
“career” in relation to that pursuit. [46:28]


Some of the best decisions Hugh made in the first years of being
an aspiring/working actor. [51:26]


Why does Hugh think he was extended the kindness of auditioning
for Sir Trevor Nunn — one of his idols — even though he had no
intention of accepting a part in the musical he was directing?
[57:02]


How has Hugh learned to trust his intuition — even when it leads
him in unexpected directions? [58:52]


Can Hugh recall any times when the purpose of a nudge from
intuition wasn’t easily fathomed — when the dots didn’t connect
in an obvious way, but paid off in a big way when it was heeded?
[1:06:29]


Am I talking to Hugh Jackman, or Perfect Tommy? [1:10:57]


Hugh elaborates on one of his daily morning practices — the
design of the day — pondering the efficacy of manifestation and
how it played into a major career decision. [1:12:16]


Hugh puts discipline in perspective, talks about the importance
of incorporating relaxation into physical activity (or possibly
any activity) for best results, the types of exercises he’s found
to be most effective, and a Viktor Frankl quotation that he finds
especially inspiring. [1:18:33]


Hugh is a connoisseur of puzzles and games. So what does he
recommend for someone who needs to unwind from taking themselves
and their work too seriously? Furthermore, what is it about
puzzles that keeps him occupied all night if he doesn’t remember
to set an alarm for himself? [1:27:46]


Parting thoughts. [1:33:51]


*


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Past guests on The Tim Ferriss
Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh
Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin
Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew
McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth
Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah
Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine
Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary
Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael
Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria
Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de
Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly
Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard
Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael
Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan
Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit
Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim
Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval
Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth
Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard
Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid
Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick
Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many
more.


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