Fighting Hugh Jackman in The Death of Robin Hood was 'surreal', says Welsh actor
Fighting Hugh Jackman in The Death of Robin Hood was 'surreal', says Welsh actor
Angharad Thomas - BBC WalesSat, September 5, 2026 at 7:03 AM UTC
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Jade Croot says the script left her "hooked from start to finish" as she read over it in Wetherspoons with a cup of tea
A Welsh actor says fighting Hollywood star Hugh Jackman in The Death of Robin Hood was "surreal".
Jade Croot, from Merthyr Tydfil, said she would sit and have cups of tea with Jackman before he helped her through gruelling fight scenes filmed in sleet and freezing temperatures in Ireland.
The new dark thriller is based on a 17th Century ballad of the outlaw, starring Jackman as the reflective, battle-weary titular character at the end of his life.
Croot plays the character Wainwright who is "looking for revenge" in the period action film, which also stars Jodie Comer as Sister Brigid, a mysterious healer who runs an island priory.
The 27-year-old described the film as "very dark", adding: "I don't want to give too much away. It's a bit of a different twist on Robin Hood and who he is."
Jodie Comer and Hugh Jackman attended the photocall for "The Death Of Robin Hood" at the Soho Hotel on 2 September in London
Speaking to BBC Radio Wales, Croot said there was "a lot of big fight scenes with Hugh".
"I think he's over six foot. So that was cool, obviously there's a massive height difference. I'm very, very petite," she said.
"When I look back now, I kind of can't believe that I got to do something like that. It still kind of feels really surreal".
Croot has been acting since she was a child and said Jackman had taken "really good care" of her.
"He was wonderful," she said.
"We had cups of tea, we had dinner in the tent before we'd go and shoot our scenes.
"I feel very lucky and very fortunate that I got to do that."
The young actor said that filming in Ireland "was amazing, but it was so cold", and at one point the team had noticed she was "blue".
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"I was in really good spirits and the team were like, 'I think we should take a little break, just to check that you're OK'".
But the enthusiastic actor said she had been eager to be in the film ever since she had read the script over a cup of tea in Wetherspoons, which left her "hooked from start to finish".
She added: "Reading the script and then seeing it brought to life was just magical. It was so dreamlike and otherworldly."
She shared that acting helped her rebuild "confidence" after being bullied at school and enabled her to "find my voice".
"I found my friends through doing that," she said.
For those with the acting bug, Croot said to try and "immerse yourself in that world as soon as you possibly can".
Yung Lean, Jade Croot, Sam Richardson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert Walak, and Chris Evans attend the premiere of "Sacrifice" during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival
It has been a busy time for Croot, who has also starred in Netflix's Sacrifice, a satirical action-comedy film with Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Evans and Salma Hayek.
She plays another "violent", "dark role" and had to learn how to load and reload an AK-47 assault rifle without looking.
She said: "I'd never held a gun before. I'd never actually seen a gun in the real world. I had to really quickly become a pro."
Croot also stars in the horror The Rabbit Trap opposite Oscar-nominee Dev Patel.
The Rabbit Trap, which was filmed in Yorkshire instead of Wales, because of the no-smoking rule on sets in Wales, tells the story of a couple who move from London and encounter fairies from Welsh folklore, known as Tylwydd Teg.
Croot plays The Child, and was able to keep her native Merthyr accent while in character.
When asked if she hopes her next role might be more gentle or have less mud, Croot laughed, saying: "No, bring on all the mud, all the ash, all the guns, all the fights."
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
