The Academy Award-nominated Les Misérables star feels privileged by the opportunity to portray such diverse characters in his career.

And he doesn’t believe his more famous roles have trumped his lesser-known parts.

“Not really, because if I want to play a certain character I could,” he told British newspaper The Independent, in response to a question about whether he believes playing Logan/Wolverine in the Marvel film franchise has overshadowed everything else he’s done in the past.

“But I'm surprised pretty much by everything that has happened in my career. I never thought I would make a career out of it.

“I'm someone who always tries to remember how lucky he is. And even if it's only Wolverine, it's pretty good.”

Hugh is very serious about technique, but he doesn’t like to take his work home with him.

The star says playing tormented character Keller Dover in Prisoners posed a unique challenge.

“I don't stay in character but I can't say I was fully relaxed at the end of a day [after playing Keller]. It's a weird thing,” he explained.

“Acting is like the greatest privilege: you get to inhabit lives and you get to touch real emotions, and at the end of the day you're calm, like you've had a great bath.”

Hugh’s next film X-Men: Days of Future Past will be released in theatres this year.

And the thespian enjoyed reuniting with original director Bryan Singer while reprising his role as Wolverine in the picture.

“It's always special for me working with Bryan on this character. He gave me that break, he gave me that character, and I can't believe, 14 years later, we're working on it again,” Hugh said.