Hugh Sheridan steps into the shoes of a gender-queer punk-rock singer

He candidly spoke about his sexuality in October, after years of speculation.

And on Wednesday, actor Hugh Sheridan announced he would star in Wesley Enoch’s cult-hit musical, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, playing a gender-queer punk-rock singer from East Berlin.

‘Hedwig is a role of a lifetime, a beast and a chance to extend myself in every possible direction,’ the 35-year-old confessed in the press release.  

And it could not come at a better time for the former Packed to the Rafters star, who told The Daily Telegraph he would not have succeeded if he had not been true to himself.

‘Hedwig is so open and so raw, I wouldn’t have felt that I was doing the best job that I could if I hadn’t been open and raw myself,’ Hugh said. 

‘I want to go into it being as open and raw and naked on the stage as I can be, metaphorically speaking. 

‘[Hegwig’s role] requires you to draw on a level of honesty that is very uncomfortable for a lot of people, and has been for me for a long time.’ 

Brilliant opportunity: The musical follows the journey of a ‘girly boy’ from East Berlin who had a botched sex change to flee to the USA. Pictured: Hugh as Hedwig

Challenging: ‘[Hedwig’s role] requires you to draw on a level of honesty that is very uncomfortable for a lot of people, and has been for me for a long time.’

Hedwig and the Angry Inch follows the journey of a ‘girly boy’ from East Berlin who tours the world with her band to tell the story of The Origin of Love. 

The hit show has been hailed as ‘the best rock musical ever’ and has amassed a devoted following around the world.  

The show will premiere at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre in January 2021, with tickets on sale now. 

Speaking up: Hugh (pictured) told Stellar Magazine in October while he did not place a label on his sexuality, he had come to accept his attraction to both men and women

The announcement comes after Hugh told Stellar Magazine in October that he did not place a label on his sexuality, but had come to accept his attraction to both men and women.  

‘I’ve never felt I really knew who I was and I didn’t like the sounds of the labels that people were giving me so I decided to say nothing,’ he said. 

‘But lockdown gave me time to reflect and it occurred to me that no-one ever sticks up for people who don’t pick a label.’ 

The star added he wanted to make it clear he was ‘never ashamed’ of his sexuality, but, ‘Some people are working things out slower than others’.

‘I’ve never felt I really knew who I was and I didn’t like the sounds of the labels that people were giving me so I decided to say nothing,’ Hugh told Stellar Magazine in October