Hugh Jackman meets the fans and signs autographs during the screening of 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Los Angeles, California - 28.04.09

The Aussie star reveals he tried out for the action man role nine months before filming started - and was initially passed over for Brit Dougray Scott.

And he thinks his hair put the casting director off.

He explains, "I was doing a musical in London at the time, playing Curly in Oklahoma - so I had a perm in my hair.

"So I put the hat on to do the audition and about halfway through, the casting director was like, 'That was great, could you do one without the hat? I can't really see Wolverine wearing a baseball cap.'

"I took it off and I read about two lines and she goes, 'Cut, put the hat on - now!'"

But fortune came Jackman's way when filming on Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible film overran and Scott was contracted to complete that film first.

Producers couldn't wait and so Jackman re-auditioned - four days after X-Men began shooting in 1999.

Ten years later, the Aussie has played the claw-handed mutant in four movies, including the newly-released X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which debuted at the top of box office charts around the globe this week on its way to an impressive $175 million (£116 million) haul.

Source: WENN