Some celebrities revel in the spotlight; others, not so much. Hugh Jackman falls into the first category, as witnessed when he recently settled into a well-positioned banquette in a West Village restaurant and faced his dining audience, the better to disarm and dazzle.

But his latest character — former United States Senator Gary Hart of Colorado — is definitely not a fan of the limelight. In The Front Runner, the director Jason Reitman chronicles the three weeks in 1987 when the presidential candidacy of Hart, a Democrat who was considered the man to beat, imploded after journalists caught the scent of a supposed extramarital tryst with Donna Rice. It didn’t take long before that infamous photo of Rice sitting on Hart’s lap near the Monkey Business yacht was splashed across the National Enquirer. (Both Hart and Rice have denied an affair. And earlier this month, The Atlantic reported that a dying Lee Atwater — the campaign manager for George H.W. Bush, the presumed Republican candidate, who trailed in the polls — claimed that he had set Hart up.)

“Gary is a private person by nature but also a believer that there should be a separation” between the public and private lives of politicians, said Jackman. “And what I love about the movie is it does not give any easy answers on that. We’re all human, we’ve all got flaws, but what level of flaws would you accept? It’s actually Gary’s line: ‘In public life some things are interesting; it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re important.’”

Jackman, on the other hand, seems to have no obvious shortcomings: His offscreen persona is that of a happy husband to the Australian actress Deborra-lee Furness and a doting father to their teenagers, Oscar and Ava, who sings in the shower and makes his best decisions while tap dancing.

On the day before his 50th birthday — which he would celebrate with his wife’s ricotta hot cakes before heading to the set of Bad Education, about an embezzlement scandal in a Long Island school district — Jackman talked about politics and privacy, what’s next for The Greatest Showman and why his life just keeps getting better.

Here are edited excerpts from the conversation.

What was it like being cast as Gary Hart?

It produced a little anxiety in the right kind of way. I mean, nerve-racking for many reasons — [Gary] is mysterious, hard to pin down, closed off. Even he said, “People call me cold and aloof but if I start winning they’ll call me enigmatic.” Then of course I’ve never played someone who’s alive. But I feel very strongly that our stories are one of the most valuable things to people. How we’re seen in the world, potentially how we’re remembered. And I wanted him to know that I took that very seriously.

Before Hart, presidents had affairs but the news media mostly left them alone. What changed?

This was really a key turning point, particularly in the relationship between press and politicians, and also politics and personality. Once the private life became a really important indicator of character, and something that voters and press could latch onto to describe their worthiness to lead, then the floodgates opened. It’s the most important job in the world, arguably, and you are making a decision about the character of someone in terms of what they say they’re going to do. For me, how they conduct their marriage is not that important.

In 2017, with Logan, you retracted your Wolverine claws after 17 years, a decision which you credited to Jerry Seinfeld.

I was asking him about the end of Seinfeld, and he said: “I’m a firm believer that it’s very important for your creative self not to run your self ragged. Leave before you’re completely worn out on something because it catapults into the next thing.” As he was telling me the story, I just knew in my gut it was time.

After which you made your passion project, The Greatest Showman, about P.T. Barnum, which became a box-office smash. Will there be a Broadway version?

I don’t know. It’s not definitive at all. There’s a lot of people working on what a live version of that would be. Is it something that’s on the West End or in Vegas? Is it a touring tent show? Is it an arena spectacular? All I know is when we were in the room during those workshops, you get a really keen sense if it’s going to work in a theatre. And I know it will work. I just know the power. I’ve seen Keala [Settle] standing in the centre of a room singing This Is Me, and there was not a dry eye in the house.

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Or maybe a film sequel?

I’m sure there are pitches being done but I have no idea what’s going on.

What is 50 like?

For me, life feels better and better. People talk a lot about the arrogance of youth and how the world is at your feet, and I didn’t really relate to that. I felt more insecure certainly than I do now. But a bit of insecurity is good. It makes you work harder.

Is there anything you’d like to do that you’re not ready for yet?

Hmm, no. Maybe I am arrogant. Because I’m promoting this movie, people are like, “Wow, are you going to run for prime minister [of Australia]?” [Laughs] And I’m like, “No, that’s not happening.” Any job where the day you sign up literally 60 per cent of the country hates you, I don’t know if I’d be able to cope with that.

It’s hard to imagine 60 per cent of any country hating you. After all, 20.8 million followers enjoy watching you make fun of yourself on Instagram.

I do try to hold onto the bubbly colloquial Aussie way of not taking things too seriously. I know it’s probably breaking all the movie star rules where you’re supposed to be mysterious and not show who you really are, but I really don’t care that much about it. I prefer to do my pretending on film or on stage.