Hugh Jackman Pays Tribute To His Acting Teacher And Mentor Lisle Jones
Published on January 2, 2020.Hugh Jackman is mourning the passing of his acting teacher and mentor Lisle Jones.
Jones passed away at the age of 89 in Melbourne, Australia.
The actor took to Instagram on New Year’s Day to pay tribute to Jones, saying he’s “a dear friend and certainly one of the single biggest influences on me as an actor both on stage and off.”
In his touching Instagram tribute, Jackman wrote: “Last week I lost a dear friend and certainly one of the single biggest influences on me as an actor both on stage and off. Lisle Jones. I feel tremendous gratitude toward him as a teacher and mentor. His deep love for the craft of acting was palpable, his generosity unmatched. Lisle will be greatly missed but leaves behind a legacy and troth of knowledge that will be passed down for generations of actors to come.”
He also added: “He once said. ‘Anyone on this planet on their day, when everything is going right, can be a great actor. These next three years are about the other 90% of the time!’ Lisle Jones, I am forever grateful to you.”
In 2017, the actor visited Jones and shared a similar tribute about how he’s the “most influential acting teacher [he’s] ever had.”
Hugh has also mentioned that his acting teacher and mentor always emphasized the importance of hard work and consistency when he first began studying at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in the ’90s.
Jones oversaw the acting faculty at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts for 12 years. Some of his famous students include Marcus Graham (E Street), Frances O’Connor (Mansfield Park), William McInnes (SeaChange), and Robert Taylor (The Matrix).