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Thursday, April 23, 2009

Hugh Jackman sinks hands into Hollywood history

Hugh Jackman signs his name during a ceremony where the actor places his hand and foot prints in cement in front of the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood April 21, 2009.

Hugh Jackman, star of the upcoming "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," immortalized his name in Hollywood history on Tuesday by sinking his hand and foot prints into cement outside the famous Grauman's Chinese Theater.

The movie house on Hollywood Boulevard is a key tourist attraction, where for 82 years stars such as Cary Grant and Judy Garland have been honored by stamping their own signed hand and foot prints into the theater's forecourt.

Jackman recalled a previous trip to the venue with his wife, saying it was the first Hollywood landmark he visited in Los Angeles, and while there he put his hands into the prints of late comedian Peter Sellers.

"Here we are, 12 years later," he told a crowd at the ceremony.

"It's a very humbling moment as an actor to be here. You look down at the names, from Fred Astaire to Cary Grant, Clint Eastwood, Al Pacino, Steve McQueen, John Wayne, and to think that those people have been immortalized and pretty soon I'll be putting my hands in wet cement," Jackman said, before planting his palms in the concrete.

In two weeks, the Australian actor debuts the new "X-Men Origins" movie, reprising his role as conflicted "mutant" Wolverine, who battles other, evil mutants trying to control the world.

Wolverine has sharp blades that protrude from his knuckles. He is among the most popular of X-Men comic book characters on which the films are based. There have been three "X-Men" movies, and combined they have grossed more than $1.1 billion at global box offices.

Jackman, 40, is known as a versatile actor who has starred in a range of movies from action adventures like "Swordfish" to romances such as last year's "Australia." He has enjoyed a Tony-winning stage career on Broadway and recently hosted Hollywood's Oscars.

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