Hugh Jackman Is A Doting Father To His Two Children & Doesn't 'Think Of Them As Adopted’

Oct 21, 2022

Hugh Jackman has become one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood, and rightly so. But more than his status as an A-list star, he is also the best dad to his children.

Hugh Jackman is an Australian actor who is best known for playing the role of Wolverine in the "X-Men" film franchise from 2000 to 2017. The star has gone on to have a successful career both commercially and critically. He has won a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, two Tony Awards, and a Golden Globe Award. Jackman got his start working in theater and on television in Australia before he crossed over into the film industry in Hollywood.

The actor has played the lead role in such films as "Kate & Leopold," "Van Helsing," "The Prestige," and "Australia." Jackman also starred as Jean Valjean in the epic musical film "Les Misérables," for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Another popular musical film led by Jackman is "The Greatest Showman."

In his personal life, Jackman has been married to Deborra-Lee Furness since 1996. The couple met on an Australian TV show called "Correlli." They are a happy family now with two adopted children named Oscar, 22, and Ava, 17. Prior to adopting, Furness experienced two miscarriages. Together, Jackman and his wife overcame that hardship and now reside in New York with their beloved children.

Jackman is a family man, and he has his own father to thank for that. When the actor was eight years old, his mother abandoned her five children due to postnatal depression. She sought out the help of her mother and sister in England and left her children with her husband in Australia. 

Later, Jackman's sisters would move in with their mother while he remained in the care of his father, along with his two brothers.

In an interview with The Herald Sun in 2011, Jackman opened up about how he and his wife originally planned on having kids of their own. But things didn't go as planned.

"We thought we'd have a kid or two biologically and then adopt," he said.

"But when we decided we'd had enough of IVF, we went ahead with adoption."

Jackman also shared how he felt when he couldn't have any children with his wife. "It was painful," Jackman said.

Like most parents who struggle to have children, Jackman shared in the same interview that the thought that he and his wife won't have kids made him feel anxious.

"It's not easy. You put a lot of time and effort into it, so it's emotional. I think any parent can relate – trying to have children is wonderful and when you feel as though that's not going to happen, there's a certain anxiety that goes with it," he said.

But Jackman and Furness eventually came to accept that they could never have biological children. So, they decided to go ahead with adopting kids. Then again, Jackman said they don't see their children as adopted kids.

"From the moment we started the adoption process, all the anxiety went away. I don't think of them as adopted – they're our children. Deb and I are believers in … I suppose you could call it destiny," he said.

"We feel things happened the way they are meant to. Obviously, biologically wasn't the way we were meant to have children. Now, as we go through life together, sure there are challenges, but everyone's in the right place with the right people. It sounds airy-fairy, but it's something we feel very deeply," he added.

Despite him having one of the biggest names in the world, Jackman previously revealed in an interview that his son Oscar isn't really a fan of his work as an actor. But if we talk about Jackman as a dad, he is definitely on the top of his son's list. In fact, his son came to him one day to ask for advice on matters related to his personal life.

"Once he was on the beach. He was talking to a girl, he was about 13, he was talking to a girl, who I guess to be about 15, and he started walking towards me," he told Entertainment Tonight in an interview.

"He came up to me and he started walking ahead of the girl, and he goes, 'Dad, Dad, Dad, she's coming over. I told her you're Wolverine, just go with it.' I was like, 'I am the wingman for my 13-year-old boy," he added.

In 2019, Jackman opened up in an interview with PEOPLE about how his relationship with his children changed as they grew up.

"It's amazing to just have conversations with them. But it took a bit of readjusting. It went from 'Hey, guys, these are the rules, we don't do that,' to having to give them reasons why," he said.

What can you say about Hugh Jackman's relationship with his children? Do you also think he is the best father to them? Let us know your thoughts, and pass this on to anyone who might love to read this story!