Hugh Jackman Looks Different With Long Hair In Early '00s Throwback Pics

Hugh Jackman appears to be someone who likes to keep things short and simple as far as his hair is concerned. When the Aussie actor isn't sporting Wolverine's signature spiky 'do and sideburns combo, he tends to keep himself pretty clean cut. Hugh Jackman, somewhat surprisingly, worked as an assistant P.E. teacher before he got famous, and you can totally see that side of him in throwback pics from the actor's early "X-Men" days. After all, the Marvel icon rocking long, flowing locks definitely gives more "surfer" than "superhero." 

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The photo above was taken in April 2003, while Jackman was on the promotional tour for "X2: X-Men United," which was released in theaters that very same month. And all we have to say is that Wolverine may have missed out on some serious money by not growing out his locks and securing a brand deal with L'Oréal (after all, most superheroes don't exactly get paid for their heroism alone). That being said, the Aussie star's look may have been less of a fashion statement on his part, and more of an obligation for an entirely different gig. 

Following "X2," Jackman starred as the eponymous, long-haired monster hunter in the 2004 action-horror film "Van Helsing." The filming process for that movie was long, lasting throughout the entire first half of 2003. As such, Jackman would have been knee-deep in production on "Van Helsing" at the same time he was busy promoting "X2." Hence, his glorious hair. And from the sound of it, the actor wasn't prepared for the hair extensions required to achieve Van Helsing's signature look — nor was he especially fond of them.

Hugh Jackman actually opened up about his "Van Helsing" era — and the hair extensions that came with it — during a December 2025 interview with CinemaBlend. "So, that's the 'Van Helsing' hair, which is extensions. [...] It took four hours to put them in," he confirmed. "And you think it's a cool thing until you get up from bed in the morning and there's hair on your pillow. It's just not sexy. Having an extension on the pillow — it's not cool." Evidently, the Aussie actor was more than happy to stop wearing hair extensions after production on "Van Helsing" finally wrapped in the summer of 2003, given the fact that he was back to rocking short hair by the time the movie actually premiered in May 2004 (see above).

Still, Jackman sported long locks in several other roles in the subsequent years, including as the beloved superhero that made him a household name. The opening minutes of the 2013 "X-Men" spinoff film "The Wolverine" document the eponymous mutant living as a mountain man, complete with unkempt, long hair and an overgrown beard. Luckily for the "Greatest Showman" star's pillow, Wolverine gets a shave and a haircut before long. More recently, though, Jackman also rocked long hair while playing Mike Sardina in the 2025 Lightning & Thunder biopic "Song Sung Blue," which is what prompted the discussion about his "Van Helsing" extensions during his chat with CinemaBlend in the first place.