It was all in good fun and a classic way to ring in the New Year. Perhaps we should rename this classic dare from the Polar Bear Plunge to the Wolverine Dunk?
Hugh Jackman Showed Off His Abs During a Shirtless New Years Polar Bear Plunge
The actor, 52, still looks almost as ripped as he did playing Wolverine.
- by
Jesse Hicks
It’s a well-known fact that the wolverine (Gulo gulo, aka the skunk bear) thrives in cold climates. It’s no surprise, then, that the most famous Wolverine, Hugh Jackman, would have no trouble diving into freezing waters to welcome in the New Year.
To start off 2021 on the right note, Jackman posted a new video to his Instagram account featuring him wishing everyone a happy New Year. The Kate & Leopold star flexed his biceps and then took off his shirt, running into an unnamed body of water—one that sure looked cold.
Of course, a little cold water is no challenge at all for a 52-year-old man with a mutant healing factor, and despite being clad in only shorts and running shoes, the erstwhile Jean Valjean handled the chilly deep with aplomb, racing in up to his neck and continuing to wish everyone in earshot a happy New Year. (Here's a look at how Jackman uses rowing workouts to stay fit.)
The Greatest Showman flipped over on his back, getting a full dip in the water, but it looked like he didn’t stay long—and who can blame him? By the end of the short clip, Swordfish’s leading man was high-kneeing it back up to the relative safety of land.
Jesse Hicks
Jesse Hicks is a Detroit-based writer and former features editor at The Verge who specialises in longform stories about science, health, and technology. He has written for Men’s Health, VICE, Harper’s, and many other publications.
