How the *beep* did they pitch this movie to Hugh Jackman?

After the first 30 mins it REALLY goes downhill.

Tesla was robbed!

I highly doubt money was Hugh Jackman's primary motivation. Have you ever seen him in an interview? Have you heard about what he is like? He is so down-to-earth and family oriented. I met him before his Broadway play (he is an extremely warm, gentle, and kindhearted man and a genuinely positive person), and he had advocated to lower ticket prices for people who usually can't afford theater so I saw him perform from the front row for just $35. When I went to see him perform, the ushers had also told us that Hugh was the only actor on Broadway still participating in the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS charity, even though actors were no longer required to be involved (and he participates very actively and gives a lot of his own money as well as getting everyone involved - raising millions of dollars for this charity). Also, I by sheer chance got a look at Hugh's car (I would have never guessed it was Hugh's car) when I met his wife, who picked him up afterwards. Their car was not expensive at all (not a car you would expect a celebrity to drive). So from my experience alone, I can tell that how he is in interviews is sincere.

That being said, I read that for Hugh's movie cameos, he tells the movie producers (who try to insist on paying him) to instead give it to his favorite charities. And for the movie Prisoners, if I remember correctly, Hugh actually put some of his own money into the film to expand its budget. He also turned down a 100 million dollar offer to be in the next 4 X-Men films, and often takes up to a year or more off from his film career to do theater for not that much pay. I'm sorry but I just do not see money as a major motivation for him. It is a motivation for everyone on some level I'm sure, Hugh being no exception. I just don't see it as a major motivation for him. There are other things he seems to value much more than money, though on some level I'm sure money factors in a little bit.

The main reason I think Hugh agreed to do Real Steel is because he is a father, he read the script to his son, and his son loved it and wanted him to do it. Hugh brought his son onto the set of this movie for almost the duration of filming, and in an interview, Hugh thoroughly explained this as the reason he did this movie. The man is family oriented, and never turns down a chance to act in a movie showcasing a father bonding with his child. In an interview back before Hugh became an A-Lister, he had also said that was the story aspect that drew him to Swordfish (the father/daughter relationship). On top of that, Hugh's father was a boxer, and it meant a lot to Hugh to do a family movie with a boxing theme that his father would enjoy. He was even trained by Sugar Ray Leonard for this movie. What actor would not think that's a cool opportunity? I rest my case.