Top 10 Portrayals of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables

The original will always be the best. Colm really made the role his own and he became a household name back in 1985 when the production opened. The song "Bring Him Home" was written for his singing voice just like "Til' I Hear You Sing" was written for Ramin Karimloo's voice in "Love Never Dies". Colm returned to the role in 1995 for the 10th Anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall where many of the actors who defined the roles around the world came together as the "Dream Cast" of Les Miserables. Colm is the BEST Valjean. He has so much emotion in his voice and he really sours in those high notes. The voice of an angel.

As others have said, he is Jean Valjean. He set the bar for others, and gave more emotion than I have ever seen in any production.

The gravitas of Colm Wilkinson and the soaring range of his unrivaled voice leave all others in his wake. He is singular.

His voice and emotion he brings is amazing. I was lucky to see him on stage. He defined Valjean for me!

Gorgeous voice that can cut through your heart! So clear! So lovely! I love his portrayal of Jean Valjean as it really makes you feel for the character.

Okay, let's be honest here. Alfie Boe IS Valjean. His emotion, his strong voice, his looks, everything! He is exactly what I believe Jean Valjean to be.

If you haven't heard this guy sing in it before, Buy or rent Les Miserables 25th anniversary.

The man who is Britain's number one tenor who brings the same emotion and determination that Colm brought to the role. He takes that as inspiration and does it his own way, also the way that he acts the role out is really compelling to me. The 25th Anniversary at the O2 really demonstrates that. Say what you will about the cast, the new orchestration and how it's sung at the O2 but every new interpretation is always welcome to me. Alfie is just as good as the others who have played Valjean over the years and just like Colm, Ramin and JOJ, he's been lucky enough to play the role on Broadway. He's a great Valjean, especially when he sings that famous song "Bring Him Home"

This man is just the best. That's all there is to it. For someone who understands the skill and technique it takes to sing "Bring Him Home", it's easy to understand why Alfie does it the best.

Part of the 25th Anniversary Tour in 2010, John Owen-Jones has surprised everybody with his take on Valjean having previously playing the Phantom in "Phantom of the Opera". His Valjean is the most emotive and most determined that I have ever seen. "The Confrontation", he really stands out with the level of anger towards Earl Carpenter's Javert and his rendition of "Bring Him Home" always brings a tear to my eye when I listen to the way it's sung. His voice really is a god-send. A fabulous Valjean and a really wonderful Phantom too.

Saw john Owen-Jones in the staged concert in November 2019. His acting skills were wonderful, his vocals were beautiful. Was impressed by his performance.

The best ever Jean Val Jean I've ever heard! And I've been going to see the show ever since it opened in 1989!

I've never really seen him do it, but I can tell he's amazing by his roles in other musicals.

While I wasn't a big fan of the movie as a whole (Russell Crowe anyone? ) I did like Hugh Jackman as Valjean. The amount of commitment he gave to it was really amazing. Anne Hatherway was good too but Jackman really surprised me as it was the first time I heard him sing. No wonder I then went to see the Greatest Showman at the cinema five years later. Jackman really showed the emotion and the determined "can-do" attitude that was needed for Valjean and while his "Bring Him Home" wasn't the best (it wasn't bad though), the film could have been so much more than what we got. Nevertheless, Jackman should play this role on the stage sometime. In fact, I'll go tweet him now...

Heard Alfie Boe giving Hugh Jackman crap over his performance. And I thought that didn't show much class. I though Hugh did a great job and showed great emotion playing the role. Plus he could really sing.

Back in 2012 when I was 12, I had no idea what Les Mis was evan about and why Wolverine was in a musical, but dear Lord that man can sing and he will always be my favourite Jean Valjean.

When I went to see Les Mis at Queen's for my birthday during it's 30th year, this man really surprised me as Valjean. His tenor voice really made my spine shiver when he sang those famous tunes, plus he looked good in the make-up and costume. His Valjean really stood out to me. Underrated.

The man who has had an incredible journey with Les Mis, starting out as a swing then an understudy for Valjean, Javert and Enjolrus, then principal Enjolrus and more recently principal Jean Valjean. Through that time he built his voice up to how it is now and really throws his hat in the ring when he plays the role. Although he's finished his West End run, he will playing the role for a UK/Ireland tour in 2019 and he definitely worth going to see, his Valjean is so relate-able, so tragic and so moving. He really loves playing it and it clearly shows.

After seeing him in Anastasia and Phantom, I fell in love with his straight tones that lead you into his beautiful vibrato. He is arguably one of the best on Broadway right now.

His powerful voice is so beautiful but the gentleness that also flows with emotion transport me to a different world. I have loved listening to him sing in every role.

First Enjolrus, then the Phantom and now Jean Valjean. And he gives us what has to be the most powerful and emotional Jean Valjean I have ever seen. Is there nothing this man can't do?!

Never saw him. Never really found anything on his performance. I just love him.

This was the first Valjean I ever saw when I went to see Les Mis for the first time back in 2008 and he really impressed me with his "rock star" singing voice. This was more suited to him than Javert was. I really liked him as Valjean, I thought he did an excellent job.

A talented tenor and a really excellently executed portrayal of Jean Valjean. The emotion, the determination, the rage and the tender loving heart really shines in this perfomer. No wonder a year later he went on to play the Phantom like many others on this list!