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In the new A24 movie, The Death of Robin Hood, Hugh Jackman rocks a long grey wig as he plays the older version of the titular character, and it’s honestly amazing how well it holds up. In a film full of brutal violence, dirty sequences and intense locations, I figured the wig might not be easy to work with. However, the actor told me the hairpiece actually held up really well; it was his fake beard that was the problem.
Now, Hugh Jackman is no stranger to wigs and fun hairstyles. For example, he’s rocked that iconic Wolverine hairdo on many occasions, and his long hair in Song Sung Blue was pretty incredible. In The Death of Robin Hood, which just premiered on the 2026 movie schedule, he has long grey hair that helps us better understand how tough yet worn down his character is. Speaking to how they developed this standout wig, Jackman told me:
Sean Flanagan, I have to give him props. He's my hair guy. He has worked with me on a lot of films. Pamela Westmore, who does makeup, the two of them, we were sitting in the trailer at Song Song Blue, and both of them, they looked at me, and I said, ‘What's going on?’ They said, ‘We've come up with what we think could be a cool look.’ and I looked at it, and I went, [makes shocked noise]. It's pretty much what you saw, and I sent it immediately to Michael [Sarnoski], and he was like ‘Perfect,’ and that was it. And then they had to work out how to do it.
Well, clearly, they worked out how to do it, as you can see in the BTS images Jackman posted on his Instagram. The actor looks totally different with the long grey hair. As a viewer, I thought this look was fantastic, and it helped make The Death of Robin Hood an even more immersive experience.
Now, in the fairly well-reviewed Death of Robin Hood, Jackman has to perform multiple brutal fight sequences, one of which memorably involves a ton of mud. His wigs (for the most part) made it through it, too. While he mentioned that they “destroyed” a few of them, overall, his character’s hair held up. However, the beard was a different story, as the Logan actor explained:
And that wig held up really, really well. We destroyed a couple in those fights, but I had to have a fake beard. And in that scene, in the mud, there was a couple of takes where I put my head up, beard gone, oh, somewhere in there. By the end, it was literally like gaffer tape, just underneath, and you couldn't see anything. It was completely just muddy, just trying to keep this thing on, and there was one bit attached. It was a miracle.
It must be a very bizarre feeling to be in the mud, in the midst of a fight scene, and realize your fake beard has fallen off. I also imagine that has to get annoying.
Also, this makes me wonder how many fake beards they had on hand. Jackman mentioned that they went through a couple of wigs. I’d imagine the same is true for the beard too.
Overall, despite the fake beard falling off and having to be taped to The Greatest Showman actor's face, his look is incredible. Robin Hood looks rugged and strong, and that’s in part thanks to the wig and beard. Thankfully, the wig held up in the elements…the beard…that was a different story, but a very entertaining one nonetheless.
Now, if you want to see Hugh Jackman and his wig and beard in action, you can catch The Death of Robin Hood in theaters right now.
