Poised on the runner of a helicopter hovering above Sydney harbour's Cockatoo Island - one of the key locations for his new film X-Men Origins: Wolverine - comic book hero actor Hugh Jackman made a dramatic entrance at the film's Australian premiere.
Watched by hundreds of fans gathered below on the city's waterfront, the 40-year-old star saluted the crowd before touching down and embarking upon another high-action entry with the help of a flying fox.
"It's a good way to come to work in the morning," quipped the actor, who put on 15lb of pure muscle for his role as the superhero.
"I wanted audiences to say: 'This guy could easily rip someone's head off', so I consulted a natural bodybuilder," he explains.
Hugh also served as co-producer on the film alongside his wife Deborra-Lee Furness. "Being a producer is like being a grown up," he admitted, revealing he'd revelled in the role's casting and writing duties.
He was less than pleased, however, to discover that an unfinished version of the film had been uploaded onto the internet. Describing himself as "heartbroken", he said: "It's a serious crime and there's no doubt it's very disappointing... Obviously people are seeing an unfinished film. It's like a Ferrari without a paint job."
Photo: Rex
Photo: Rex
