With the annual release of new superhero movies, you’re bound to see more and more superhero actors that have been professionally trained. Although it may seem extraordinary to get professional training since nearly anyone can read a line and act, you’d be surprised how much professional experience can impact a person’s performance, especially a superhero role. Let’s dive into how professional training has changed superhero movies, and the top six superhero actors that you might not know are professionally trained.
How Professional Training Has Changed Superhero Movies
It’s becoming more common for actors to obtain a degree in the fine arts. Just like how stunt men and women have to get professional training for their job, so do professional actors who were cast in superhero roles. Although you may not think it necessary for actors to achieve a college degree in theatre, not only does being trained at The Lee Strasberg Institute make them better actors, but helps modern-day film adaptations of comics breathe new life into the characters.
1. Patrick Stewart (Professor Xavier)
Patrick Stewart plays Professor Xavier in many X-Men films but initially got his start in acting at Crowless Church of England Junior and Infants School, where he performed Shakespeare literature. Soon after, he attended Mirfield Secondary Modern School, where he continued his study of drama. At only 15 years old, he started taking on roles at a local theatre and left a newspaper writing job to become a professional actor. He also attended the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Thanks to his professional theatre education, he became one of the most recognizable actors of his generation and even knighted by the Queen of England for his service!
2. Hugh Jackman (Wolverine)
Although Hugh Jackman is officially done playing Wolverine, he did an amazing job of displaying the character on the big screen. Hugh started acting in his school’s adaptation of My Fair Lady in 1985 and began working at Uppingham School in England after graduating. However, he soon returned to school by studying at the University of Technology, Sydney and took a credit class in drama. After getting his BA in Communications, he took a year-course called “The Journey” at the Actors’ Centre in Sydney. Although he never obtained a college-awarded degree in the fine arts, his classwork in drama helped him prepare for large roles, such as Wolverine, which he played for over a decade.
3. Val Kilmer (Batman)
Val Kilmer played Batman in Batman Forever and was a professionally trained actor. He attended Berkeley Hall School until ninth grade, where he graduated and started school at Chatsworth High School. Soon after, he attended Juilliard School, where he took drama classes. This acting experience helped him land numerous other roles besides Bruce Wayne/Batman, such as Detective Dobson in Psych, K.I.T.T. in Knight Rider, and The Sherpa in Entourage.
4. Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk)
Often going by the nickname Gavin Gruffalo in school, Mark Ruffalo plays the Hulk in many of the Avengers movies. He initially graduated from First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach, where he was a member of the cast at the Patriot Playhouse. Soon following, he moved to Los Angeles and started taking classes at the Stella Adler Conservatory and co-founded the Orpheus Theatre Company. This mixture of on-hand experience and theatre education helped him many land major on-screen roles before he took the major role as the massive, green Hulk.
5. Michael Chiklis (The Thing)
Michael Chiklis played The Thing in the movie The Fantastic Four. He started his acting career by getting involved in his regional theater productions and becoming a member of the Actors’ Equity Association. When he was in ninth grade, he played Hawkeye Pierce in Andover High School’s adaptation of M*A*S*H. After graduating high school, he attended Boston University of Fine Arts and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Through his theatre education, he was able to make a smash as The Thing and eventually cross into the D.C. Universe by playing Captain Nathaniel Barnes in the hit show Gotham.
6. Billy Crudup (Doctor Manhattan)
Billy Crudup, best known for his role as Doctor Manhattan in the film Watchmen, also has a vast array of acting experience, especially in a professional school setting. After graduating from Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, he attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he obtained an undergraduate degree in acting and was a member of an undergraduate acting company called LAB! Theatre. Following his graduation, he studied at the Graduate Acting Program at Tisch School of the Arts in New York, where he graduated with a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1994.
Fortunately, many aspiring performers obtain a college degree in fine arts in hopes of becoming a great actor or actress. As you can see, from Patrick Stewart to Billy Crudup, graduating from a theatre program and being professionally trained can heighten your chances of becoming a fantastic performer and improve superhero films that are making it to the big screen. Who knows, you might even don the cape and mask one day!
