Hugh Jackman as Robert Angier (The Great Danton) / Lord Caldlow, an aristocratic magician. After reading the script, Jackman expressed interest in playing the part. Christopher Nolan discovered Jackman 's interest, and after meeting him saw that Jackman possessed the qualities of stage showmanship that Nolan was looking for in the role of Angier. Nolan explained that Angier had a "wonderful understanding of the interaction between a performer and a live audience '', a quality he believed that Jackman had. Nolan said that Jackman "has the great depth as an actor that has n't really been explored. People have n't had the chance to really see what he can do as an actor, and this is a character that would let him do that. '' Jackman based his portrayal of Angier on 1950s - era American magician Channing Pollock. Jackman also portrays Gerald Root, an alcoholic double used for Angier 's New Transported Man.
who plays angier's double in the prestige
Hugh Jackman