Man goes viral after spotlighting Hugh Jackman’s impression on TikTok (Exclusive)

Joey Moroff’s first impression was not of a celebrity, but of a Jewish grandmother.

“Here, drink your orange juice! And don’t forget your table manners,” he said, sliding smoothly into her thick accent.

What started as a family joke quickly grew into a lifelong passion, with the Birmingham, Michigan native going from imitating his grandmother to mastering the voices of SpongeBob, Squidward, and countless others he picked up along the way.

“I was always imitating my teachers in elementary school, middle school, high school, and even college,” Moroff tells PEOPLE, laughing. “It was a really fun way to connect with my classmates and capture those little phrases that stick in my head.”

Early impersonations weren’t just fun. They sparked a love of performance, and he eventually went to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he was able to hone his talents on a bigger stage. It was during his early college years that he first began experimenting with celebrity impressions. Among them was Hugh Jackman, who he had admired for many years.

Moroff first saw Jackman in the 2012 film “Les Miserables,” but he also appeared in “The Greatest Showman.” He admired the Tony Award winner, 57, but didn’t put that impression to the test until he entered college.

“I would sing ‘Bring Him Home’ and ‘One Day More’ in the hallway just to have fun with my friends,” he recalls. “It was just a joke at first, but it stuck with me.”

Although it started out as casual fun, Moroff’s impression of Jackman steadily improved, and it wasn’t long before his potential was revealed on a real-life stage. That moment came during a trip to London this summer. While out to dinner with her boyfriend in June, the two started talking about Les Misérables.

“I just blurt out, ‘One more day!'” Moroff recalls with a laugh. “My boyfriend was like, ‘Wait, that’s really good. Do it again!'” That’s when I realized maybe I should post this online. ”

The next day, fate and a little humor intervened. While walking around town, Moroff came across a bakery with “Jackman’s” written on its sign. This is fitting, since stealing bread is a central part of Jackman’s story in Les Misérables.

“I called it Hugh Jackman’s Bakery, so obviously that’s what I was going to do,” he jokes. On a whim, he recorded a quick video expressing his thoughts in front of it.

He then posted it on TikTok and the video went viral, quickly racking up over 1 million views. Soon, he shared more clips of Hugh Jackman’s impressions, and tens of millions more started accumulating. One video in particular has since garnered more than 27 million views and 13,000 comments.

“The hardest part…to be honest, is the Australian accent,” he admitted with a laugh. “I feel like I need to try harder. My Australian accent isn’t as polished as his singing voice, but if I can master it and really hone it, I’ll be golden. That’s definitely my weakness for Hugh’s impression.”

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But the unexpected viral success didn’t just bring in views. This brought Molov to the attention of creators and industry experts, opening doors he never imagined. Since then, he has amassed nearly 900,000 followers on TikTok and 124,000 followers on Instagram while exploring opportunities in voiceover and comedy.

Molov says people often tell him he has a talent for being a content creator.

“Honestly, I agree with that,” he admitted with a laugh. “I’m really in it for the love of the game, or the love of the bread. I’m not part of the Creator Fund, where I get paid per view, because that’s not why I do this. I just like to make people laugh. Sure, brand deals are fun and great when they happen, but my main goal is to bring joy.”

Even off stage, Molov’s impressions never leave his mind. “I call it the Austin Butler effect,” he says. “Hugh spends at least 15% of his day popping out, even when he’s in the shower. And sometimes other characters sneak in, but we can disconnect whenever we need to.”

His repertoire continues to expand into comedy, animation, and musical theater. Still, Jackman remains his most popular impression.

When asked if he had ever been contacted by the star himself, Molov laughed and said: “I’d like to do that. I was invited to a preview of his new movie and asked him a lot of questions, but our schedules didn’t work out. I feel like it’ll happen eventually. I’d love to do something with him someday.”

Molov also made meaningful connections through his work. YouTuber Brittany Broski mentions him on her podcast, and other creators he admires have acknowledged his talent. “It’s incredible to receive recognition from people you respect,” he says. “It’s surreal to see how far my work has come and it motivates me to keep moving forward.”

He is currently planning a solo live show in New York City that will combine comedy with his love of theater, film, and television. Broadway and off-Broadway producers have already expressed interest, and he hopes to make it a recurring dream.

Looking to the future, Moroff is looking to expand into voice acting, stage and film work. “I want to do it all: Broadway, feature films, independent projects, comedies, dramas,” he says. “Acting has always been my true love and now I have a platform to share it with the world.”

Through it all, he credits his support system. “My boyfriend, friends and family are amazing,” he says. “Being able to bring the fandom together and bond people over my impressions is everything I dreamed of.”

For now, he’s having fun experimenting with his voice and spreading laughter wherever he can.

“If I can make someone laugh, even for a moment, even in their darkest moments, that means everything. That’s why I do it,” Moroff says.