Left - Hugh Jackman with AD Dean Carey at the announcement, in front of ACA students.International star of stage and screen HUGH JACKMAN
has become Patron of Actors Centre Australia.
The announcement was made by ACA’s proud Founder and Artistic Director, Dean Carey, when Jackman – one of the inner Sydney theatre school’s most famous alumni – paid a visit to the Centre last week.
Jackman graduated from The Journey program at the Centre before continuing to work with his mentor Carey at WAAPA in Perth.
He told an excited audience of current students that he was thrilled about becoming ACA Patron.
“ACA lit my passion for the craft and the fundamentals I learnt here are a huge part of the foundations I take to work with me every day. Returning to ACA, I was thrilled to see that the spirit, vitality, warmth and joy of the place is very much alive.”
Artistic Director Carey said the Actors Centre was proud to welcome Hugh Jackman as Patron. “The Centre prides itself on a culture and community of artistic nourishment and freedom of expression. Our staff are as passionate about education as they are about the acting craft itself. It is this passion and culture that differentiates ACA from other acting schools.”
ACA is currently celebrating 20 years as a self-funded arts facility. Established in 1987, actors whom ACA has helped train include Naomi Watts, Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell and Russell Crowe. Recent guest tutors at ACA include Emmy Award winning director Gale Edwards, actor/director Jeremy Sims, George Ogilvie and Russell Dykstra.
The Journey is ACA’s Premier program, with applicants auditioning from across Australia and New Zealand. Its distinctive culture, combined with exceptional teaching staff, create an environment where excellence in every way can be achieved, where industry standards and expectations are often surpassed, and where graduates are educated to be self-sustaining, self-motivated project starters.
Hugh plans to return to the Centre later this year for official birthday celebrations and as often as his busy schedule permits to continue to support the ongoing work and expansion of the school. “I look forward to sharing my experiences with the students and also watching them grow as artists.”
“I am often asked why Australian actors are doing so well on the international stage, and my first response is always that the training we receive is world class. Certainly for me, ACA was a huge part of my development. I really have to thank all the staff at ACA for instilling in me that sense of play, risk taking, and adventure that has made acting for me so fulfilling.”
