Hugh Jackman to Speak at Ball State 2026 Graduation

Hugh Jackman, who played Wolverine in the X-Men movies and is the star of The Greatest Showman, will give the commencement speech at Ball State University’s spring graduation on May 2, 2026. This is a big deal because the university is giving him a Doctor of Arts degree during the ceremony.

The event for all students at the university starts at 10 a.m. in the Quad. It is a celebration of about 2,800 graduates who have earned their PhDs, master’s, and bachelor’s degrees. After that, each college has its own ceremony at Worthen Arena and Emens Auditorium. Geoffrey S. Mearns, the president of Ball State, praised Jackman’s ability to be both an artist and an arts advocate.

Jackman has been there before. He came in September 2025 with Sutton Foster, a theater teacher there, and then came back in November to see a screening of “Song Sung Blue.” His participation shows that he supports new artists.

Jackman’s speech is likely to inspire the Class of 2026 with stories from his career that won him a Tony, Grammy, and Golden Globe. Fans and graduates are looking forward to hearing the Les Misérables star talk about how to be creative and keep going.