Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson find musical chemistry and a Neil Diamond connection with new film

LOS ANGELES – Mike and Claire Sardina were a blue-collar American couple who found love and musical alchemy when they formed a Neil Diamond tribute band in the 1980s.

And actors Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson found their own musical chemistry as they played the pair in the musical drama Song Sung Blue, which opens in Singapore cinemas on Jan 1.

Because of the film, the Hollywood stars also became friends with Diamond, the prolific 84-year-old American singer-songwriter who has sold more than 100 million records with folksy pop and rock hits such as Song Sung Blue (1972) and Sweet Caroline (1969).

At a Los Angeles screening of the movie in November, Jackman – who played Wolverine in the X-Men superhero franchise (2000 to present) – says Diamond had long known about the Sardinas, who became local legends in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the 1980s and 1990s.

He rang Jackman after watching Song Sung Blue and being moved to tears.

“It just meant so much to him. He knew of the documentary,” says the 57-year-old Australian, referring to the 2008 film of the same name documenting the Sardinas’ tragic love story and their tribute act Lighting and Thunder.

“He loved the idea of the underdog – the person fighting for a dream. So he connected with it.”

Jackman – who earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination for the musical film Les Miserables (2012) and headlined musical films like The Greatest Showman (2017) – also connected deeply with his character, Mike Sardina.

“Both of us, I think, love to entertain. We come alive when we’re on the stage.”

And the actor is still thrilled – and a little starstruck – that he got to know Diamond.

“We hung out. We did karaoke a week ago. I did karaoke with Neil Diamond! That was cool,” Jackman says.

The impromptu karaoke session took place when he stayed at Diamond’s home in Colorado and saw the icon doing renditions of some of his biggest chart-toppers.

“He handed me the mic, and we sang Can’t Help Falling In Love and Sweet Caroline, and at one point, he placed his arm around me and kissed me on the forehead as we were singing,” Jackman gushes.

The actor suggested Hudson for the role of Claire after he saw the American actress on television promoting her debut 2024 solo album Glorious, a blend of pop, rock and folk.

She also sang in the musical comedy-drama Almost Famous (2000), for which she picked up a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.

Hudson, 46, already loved Diamond’s music, but found even more hidden gems in his catalogue as she worked on Song Sung Blue.

“It was so much fun to discover. The song at the end of the movie, I’d never heard that. So it was great to get really into Neil.”

And she quickly bonded with Jackman when they met for their first recording session for the movie.

“We showed up at this recording studio in New Jersey and sang together. And it was so easy,” says Hudson, who headlines the hit sitcom Running Point (2025 to present) and starred in romantic comedies such as How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days (2003).

The co-stars quickly discovered they share the same work ethic as well.

“Some actors can be quite precious and some are real worker bees – and we’re worker bees,” Hudson says.

Jackson adds: “And I had to be a worker bee because Kate Hudson turns up and, at heart, she’s a musician.”

The actress would nail her sessions in the studio after just a few takes, “then I would stay for eight hours with the director in remedial recording”, he recalls.

But Hudson says it was a joy to click with Jackman on a personal and musical level.

“I have these pictures of us that first day singing together – and immediately, we were harmonising.

“You never know what you’re going to sound like with someone, and it was so nice.”