The Sheep Detectives, Hugh Jackman Interview

There's something so unique and heartwarming and beautiful about this script and I can honestly tell you, I was no more than 25 pages into this and I texted my agent and said "I'm doing this." There's something undeniable. Craig Mazin has written—who's an incredible writer—but he's written such a beautiful script and in the hands of Kyle, I just knew that this was going to be something timeless and something heartwarming and funny. It's very funny. And unique. And I think that's what a lot of elements people want when they go out to the cinema to see something. They want to see something they haven't seen before, they want to be transported, they want to laugh, and maybe even cry.

George is the shepherd for these sheep and lives in this town but is very much isolated. He's... for reasons I'll... you'll... I want you to see the movie to understand that he is very much on his own and a protector, fierce, fierce protector of these sheep. Now, he's a shepherd, he has sheep, but he does not believe in killing sheep. So, none of his sheep will be on your dinner plate, but maybe their wool will be on your back as a sweater. But he loves the sheep so much.

So I just read the script and I signed on. I had no idea of anyone who was in it. I pretty much didn't even finish reading the script, but by the time I had, I was in a puddle of tears and I said "I'm in." Then Kyle started to share with me who was coming on board. I mean, obviously Emma Thompson comes to the top of my brain because she is someone that I've looked up to for many, many years and have wanted to work with for many, many years and so to be in a movie just with her alone, that would be enough. But wall-to-wall this movie is just at every turn got such incredible actors and I think what I love about it is it's... all of the actors in it have such heart and the movie has such heart and the experience of filming it had that. And we all got together before we filmed and it was... we just all had a great connection.

I so loved working with Kyle because I've worked in enough movies to know that the atmosphere on set is dictated by the director. So his humility... he's incredibly accomplished but he also comes with a humility and he comes with a spirit of collaboration and kindness and softness and preparation so we were never late, we were always on time, it always felt that there was space and he was so encouraging of everybody. Every take, every day, he was just so generous and encouraging. And alongside Lindsay, our producer, the two of them just created this beautiful atmosphere.

I've done a lot of movies where I've acted opposite tennis balls, I've acted opposite... certainly looked at a lot of green crosses on a stick or a C-stand in lots of sort of special effects movies, but we didn't have that. In fact, there was a puppet made of the sheep. A lot of the time I was acting actually opposite a puppet that looked incredibly alive and real and honestly, to my eye, it was literally like a sheep is talking to me now. It was extraordinary. So this was, you know, what Eric Fellner and Lindsay did for us was make it very, very friendly for actors and I think it's really important because the relationship between particularly my character and these sheep has to be felt and has to be... feel real.

This shoot was really in many ways as sweet and fun and open and easy as I've ever been on. First of all the material, it's just so uplifting, it's so fun, and the... I think the people involved. You know, I... and I have to give it to Kyle there because he created an atmosphere that just allowed everyone just to be joyous and have a great time. It was awesome.

The movie is funny, it's very funny and smart and endearing, but ultimately it's really heartwarming. So, I promise you're going to want to go with your family, you're going to want to go with your friends, with your partner, you're going to want to go with someone because as funny and touching and a little off-the-wall as it is, it's so much about connection and about love and relying on each other. And it's got that beautiful tone that I think well Craig's managed, but they do it better in England than anywhere, just this way of just gently underneath without too much sentimentality making your heart just melt.