It's been a long journey from "Oklahoma!" to Transylvania, but acting buddies Shuler Hensley and Hugh Jackman have been there for each other every step of the way.

That's because Hensley and Jackman have known each other since the early days of their careers, years before they reassembled as Frankenstein's monster and Van Helsing, respectively, for writer-director Stephen Sommers' new adventure-horror thriller "Van Helsing" -- which opens in theaters Friday.

The road to "Oklahoma!" actually leads to London, where the stage and screen colleagues first met in 1998. Hensley played Jud Fry (a role that earned him an Oliver Award in London and a Tony, eventually, on Broadway), the rival of Jackman's Curly McLain.

"I first met Hugh when we did 'Oklahoma' in rehearsal room 'A' in the basement of the National Theater," Hensley recalled for me in a recent @ The Movies interview. "Everybody was meeting and in walks this guy with jeans on and bare feet -- that's Hugh in a nutshell. Here we are in England and he has no shoes on walking around the rehearsal hall and everyone instantly fell in love with him. He's just the nicest guy in the world."

The two remain close friends. In fact, Hensley had a supporting role in Jackman and Ashley Judd's romantic comedy, "Someone Like You."

"I wish I had something I could tell you on the evil, darker side," Hensley said, laughing. "But he's truly one of my best friends. I was there when he got the Wolverine role (for 'X-Men') -- it's been pretty amazing to see your friends and colleagues go through that."

Hensley said if anyone deserves success, it would be Jackman.

"You can really get excited about somebody like that because he hasn't changed at all," enthused Hensley. "We had so much fun on stage and doing 'Van Helsing,' that it was sort of like kids going to play group and there happens to be a camera there."

For "Van Helsing," the play group, needless to say, was rather large.

Under the auspices of "Mummy" writer-director Sommers, "Van Helsing" brought together an amazing ensemble cast to fill the breathtaking environs of Transylvania -- Kate Beckinsale as Anna Valerious, an tough-as-nails aristocrat who helps Van Helsing track down Dracula to rid her family of a centuries-old curse; Richard Roxburgh as enigmatic Prince of Darkness; David Wenham as Van Helsing's mousy friar escort Carl; Will Kemp as the tragically cursed Wolf Man; Kevin J. O'Connor as the treacherous assistant, Igor; and Josie Maran, Silvia Colloca and Elena Anaya as Dracula's delectably evil brides.

Of course, with a blockbuster release like "Van Helsing" comes a huge spate of cool movie merchandise. Predominantly a stage actor, Hensley admits that's been taken aback at the level of fandom that goes with being in a high profile blockbuster movie.

"There's just so much involved with this film," Hensley said. "There's a video game that I did the monster's voice on and somebody called about trading cards. It gets into this area that I'm absolutely at all not familiar with coming from theater or smaller-budget movies. It's fun."

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Then there are always the action figures, collectors' dolls and statues.

"That's always the biggest fear, waiting for people to say, 'That doesn't even look like you,'" Hensley said, laughing. "At least I can say, 'Well, you know, I am playing a monster."

At least Hensley, who's been married since 1994 to fitness instructor Paula DeRosa, won't have to explain to their daughter, Skyler, that it's Daddy immortalized in plastic as an action figure: she got to see Hensley as his "Van Helsing" character in the flesh.

"She is 3 now and was in Prague and L.A. when we were filming and saw me dressed up as the monster," Hensley recalled for me. "Actually, to my shock and disappointment, she would call me 'Daddy Monster.' She would always say, 'Where's Daddy Monster?' I'm just hoping there won't be years of therapy after this."

More Info:
Official 'Van Helsing' Movie Web Site
Official Shuler Hensley Web Site