9:34AM, Feb 23, 2009
He was supposed to wow the Oscars with the looks of Hugh Jackman married to the wit of Jon Stewart.
However, on the night the Aussie hunk could only manage the Jackman side of the deal…largely because he is Hugh Jackman.
Despite a helping hand from Ricky Gervais, the “sexiest man of 2009” showed that when it came to cracking gags he was just a little bit less than a pretty face.
Following in the compering footsteps of Steve Martin, Billy Crystal and, er, Ellen DeGeneres the man from Down Under struggled to come up on top.
However, he came out fighting, announcing that because of the recession everything was being downsized – “next year I’m starring in a film called New Zealand.”
The mirthful moment was brief…when next up Jackman – a talented hoofer – awkwardly showcased half a dozen nominated movies including Benjamin Button and Frost/Nixon via the medium of dance.
He even plucked a game Anne Hathaway out of the audience for a self-conscious song’n’dance. Then he sat on Frank Langella’s knee.
Warm and personable, Jackman steered clear of the wry mischief of Martin and the acerbic, politically-aware cynicism of Jon Stewart. It was a safe nay bland performance reflecting a time when even Hollywood feels cowed by the economic downturn.
Rarely did Jackman stray away from his familiar toe-tapping routine (ad-libbing was a total no-no) so we got a duet with Beyonce with a medley from Grease and Moulin Rouge among others before Dominic Cooper and Amanda Seyfried joined in for a Mamma Mia mash-up.
So, a sure and solid performance then – not once did Wolverine get his claws out…
