-How you doing? -I'm doing good.
Great to see you.
-Do they have April Fools' Day in Australia, your homeland?
-We have it. It's Australia, hello.
Yeah, like... -Yeah.
-We have it for the entire month of April.
Actually, I do remember --
I remember one time my dad freaking out on April Fools'
because in "The Sydney Morning Herald,"
Volvo -- we had a Volvo.
Do you remember the old Volvo -- they used to call them
the fridge? -Yeah.
-You know, they're like a fridge turned over.
So, we had a -- we had a fridge Volvo.
And they had a full-page ad
announcing that there were fake Volvos out there
and you could tell by the emblem --
whatever the emblem of Volvo was,
it was flipped the wrong way.
So my dad's, like, running out and freaking out.
And then when we found out this was a full-page
April Fools' joke. [ Laughter ]
Most people would be like, "That's brilliant."
But my dad was like, "Oh, curses!"
Like... [ Laughter ]
-Was your dad not a fooling-around guy?
-He was just always late, rushed -- No.
We used to watch "Fawlty Towers" together,
and he couldn't laugh.
He goes, "This is just too close to the bone."
Like, he would get too...
-Really? -...freaked out.
Yeah. -Wow, you really, rebelled,
I guess, against that, didn't you?
-A little. Yeah. -Yeah.
-A little.
-And thanks for keeping this a secret.
You've known about this for quite some time.
-I have, the whole time.
-Are you good at keeping secrets in general?
-Terrible, the worst. -Oh, you're not?
-I'm the worst. I'm a bad liar.
I mean, for an actor, I make a living out of lying.
-Yeah. -I'm really, really bad at it.
[ Laughter ]
The worst time I had to lie, actually,
was when I got the role of Wolverine.
So this was -- [ Cheers and applause ]
[ Laughter ]
Shameless fishing.
No, no, no. [ Laughter ]
I went to Toronto.
I auditioned. I got the part.
I had to go back to L.A. to pick up my stuff.
And they said, "We need you there tomorrow."
They had started shooting.
So I went the next day, and they said,
"By the way, when you go back into customs,
just say that you're there for an audition."
And I said, "Okay, but I have got the part, right?
Because I just auditioned."
They said, "No, no, since we haven't gotten your visa --
You're Australian. The visa hasn't come in time.
It'll be fine.
Just say it's an audition, and then we'll sort it out."
[ Laughter ] So, this is like
"Midnight Express" for me.
I'm in the line. -Uh-huh.
-"It's an audition.
This is just an audition. This is just an audition."
I'm sweating, I'm sweating.
[ Laughter ] The guy -- I'm looking.
The guy looks kind of nerdy.
I think, "Ah, I'm alright."
And I get up there, and he goes, "Hey, what are you here for?"
And I said, "Oh, just doing an audition."
And he goes, "Really?"
I said, "Yeah."
And he goes, "Well, that's funny,
because you seemed to be here last week.
What were you here last week for?"
[ Light laughter ] And I'm like --
sweat just pouring down. [ Laughter ]
And I -- I literally then said,
"No, no, it's not an audition. I've got the part."
I just broke. It was pathetic.
[ Laughter ] And he goes, "Go over there."
And it was that room -- you know, like, the room.
-I've been in that room. -Ohh.
You don't want to be in that room.
-Yeah, I've been in that room, yeah.
-That room is bad. -Yeah.
-And I went in there, and I was there for
like an hour and a half.
And he made me wait. And I went to make a phone call.
That guy literally is like, "Get off the phone now!"
-Really? -"This is serious!
You have no rights in here! You have no phone calls!"
And I'm sitting there going, "Okay, first of all,
I've just lost the biggest break of my life."
[ Laughter ] "I'm going to go to jail,
and I don't know what to do and..."
-And you met the first mean Canadian ever.
-Ever, yeah. [ Laughter ]
So I finally get up there, and he's like,
"Listen, we're probably going to send you back on a plane."
What was -- And I said, "Listen, I'm sorry.
It's just -- I've got this part in this thing,
and they haven't got my visa."
And he goes, "What's the thing?"
And I said, "Well, it's 'X-Men.' It's like a comic book."
He goes, "What?" [ Laughter ]
I said -- he goes,
"Well, you mean like the animation thing, 'X-Men'?"
And I goes, "Well, no,
they're doing a live-action version of it."
He goes, "What?" [ Laughter ]
And I said, "Yeah."
And he goes, "Well, what did you audition for?"
And I said, "It's a character called Wolverine."
He goes, "What?!" [ Laughter ]
And he literally looked at me, and then he just --
to all his mates, he goes,
"Hey, Jimmy, it's Wolverine! This is Wolverine!"
[ Laughter ] Honestly, I went out there
with a police escort, just to let me out.
This guy made me sign autographs, everything.
[ Laughter ] -Wolverine's --
-He was a mad "X-Men" fan.
And that's the only reason I ended up getting the part.
-The biggest Canadian superhero, too.
-Yeah. [ Cheers and applause ]
-Wow. Wow. Well, I'm glad. Had I known any of that stuff,
I never would have asked you to be here tonight.
But I do appreciate it. [ Laughter ]
-I did get strip-searched before that.
But we won't get into that. [ Laughter ]
-We --We -- Actually, you are doing --
what -- eight shows a week now? -Eight shows a week, yeah.
-And so this makes it nine.
Thank you for doing it. -My pleasure.
-I complain about doing four shows a week.
Eight shows a week is a lot of shows a week.
-Yeah, but I'm, honestly, Jimmy, having the time of my life.
-It's like the biggest -- it's more -- it's like
bigger than "Hamilton" and -- I don't know -- "Cats"
or whatever's going on out there, all combined, right?
It's a huge thing. -[ Chuckling ] Yes.
-It's like -- It's really --
-Listen, we're just having the best time.
The theatre, the Winter Garden Theatre,
is just filled with joy.
You feel the audience -- "A," the show is full of joy,
but you just feel them being happy to be back.
Oh, my God. -It's also filled
with some items that... -Oh, my God. Yeah.
-...were gifted to you by a fellow actor.
-Yeah. Yeah, opening-night gifts are big on Broadway.
And so you walk in -- there's flowers, there's cards,
and, of course, right in my makeup,
where I put my makeup in the mirror, there was this.
Thank you.
-This photograph sent to you by...?
-Ryan Reynolds.
[ Laughter ]
[ Cheers and applause ]
With a note. [ Laughs ]
-A little note.
-He'll be -- "I'll be watching."
Somewhat ominous.
-So, I was taking that in, and I thought --
I got up from my seat. I was laughing.
And I went over to brush my teeth.
Behind me -- there's another mirror behind me, and...
Thank you, Ryan Reynolds. -And he sent you this, too.
-There was that. -There's this.
[ Cheers and applause ] -So...
-Oh. Is that an original? [ Laughter ]
-I just --
He follows me wherever I go!
-This should be hanging in a museum in Halifax
or something. [ Laughter ]
That is quite -- well, that is quite beautiful.
-I am working with, I mean -- Sutton Foster, I think,
is the greatest in the world at what she does,
which is seemingly everything. [ Cheers and applause ]
-I agree. I totally agree.
-Jefferson Mays, Jayne Houdyshell,
Shuler Hensley, Marie Mullen.
It is -- It's like eight times a week --
-Did you say "Sherman Hemsley"? -Shuler Hensley.
-Oh, okay. I was just like, "Wow."
-By the way, 6'6", and he will kill you, so...
[ Laughter ] But it's like going --
every night, I go to, like, an all-star game
where people are actually trying.
It's really incredible. [ Laughter ]
-Yeah. -You know?
-You have almost too much talent, I feel like.
I feel like some of your talent
should be spread around to others, you know?
-Is Ryan Reynolds watching this, by the way?
[ Laughter ] Just a little check.
-If he hears his picture's on it,
he'll be watching -- that's for sure.
[ Laughter ] -But, no, I'm loving it.
My energy feels good.
-Does it? 'Cause -- -Yeah, no, I do.
I don't know why I haven't done a full musical for 18 years.
And everyone was like -- even Deb was like,
"Babe, are you going to be okay?"
And I said, "What? I'm going to be fine."
There's only one thing where I'm struggling a little bit...
-What is that?
-...where, given my age, is my bladder.
I'm going to be -- I'm just going to be honest.
[ Laughter ] -Oh. Is it overactive?
-Apparently. -Ask your doctor --
-I mean, not right now, don't worry.
Why? You don't care, this is Jimmy Fallon's.
[ Laughter ]
The opening scene -- [ Applause ]
So, let me give you a little bit of context.
'Cause this is a three-hour show, right?
Sorry. -[ Laughs ] Sure.
-I did once pee my pants onstage when I was 26.
You know, I was -- I drank too much water.
Anyway, it's a long story. Embarrassing.
So, from that moment on, I cannot hear the words,
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your five-minute call,"
without needing to go to the bathroom, right?
So I go religiously -- five minutes before the show, I go.
But the opening number of "The Music Man,"
if you've ever seen it, is on a train.
I don't say a word, I sit there.
I hide behind a newspaper -- spoiler alert.
I'm hiding behind it, and literally bounce like this.
-As if the train's going, yeah. -For five minutes.
And I start, and I'm like, "Oh, I've got to go.
I've really got to go." [ Laughter ]
And when that thought gets in there,
it does not leave -- let me tell you.
-I know. Yeah.
-And the last thing you want to do
is a big song-and-dance number, which is my first number,
when you need to pee, so... -Wow.
-Anyway, so, for people coming to the show,
this could be the scene to watch.
-Wow, the stars really are just like us, you know?
[ Laughter ]
Well, I know you have to go do a show tonight.
Can you stick around and play "Box of Lies"?
-I'm in. Let's do it. -Alright.
Hugh Jackman is here. [ Cheers and applause ]
"The Music Man" is on Broadway now.