Both Jackman and Levy rose to prominence at about the same time. Levy’s first feature, “Address Unknown” was released in 1997, but his first major hit was the kid-friendly Frankie Muniz vehicle “Big Fat Liar” in 2002. Jackman, meanwhile, exploded into the public consciousness playing Wolverine in Bryan Singer’s “X-Men” in 2000. Levy continued to make hit comedies like “Cheaper By the Dozen,” the “Night at the Museum” movies, and the surprisingly pretty good “Pink Panther” remake. Jackman appeared in multiple “X-Men” films, romantic comedies like “Kate & Leopold,” and ambitious auteur films like “The Fountain,” “The Prestige,” and “Australia.” Both Levy and Jackman were well-established and familiar with one another’s work. It’s likely that they would recognize each other in an airport lounge.
Levy recalls that they were each passing through New York with their families and that Jackman didn’t have his phone charger, a drama that I’m sure most of us can relate to. Through a common “they got to talking” maneuver, the two became friends. Jackman said:
“I didn’t have anything; my phone was about to run out. I asked Shawn [for a charger], and we never stopped talking and became friends. We hung out, and it was like, ‘We’ve got to find something to do together.’ Everyone had already said that to me because we were in the same worlds a lot: the Fox studio, [Chairman Tom] Rothman, and all those people. I remember, finally, Shawn said, ‘I’ve got it. I’ve got the thing for us.'”
Jackman made the “X-Men” films, “Someone Like You,” and “Australia” for 20th Century Fox, while the bulk of Levy’s films were made at the studio. It seems the two were professionally closer than they had previously acknowledged.
Jackman will also appear in Levy’s upcoming film, “Deadpool 3.”