Born in Sydney of English parentage, and the youngest of 5 children, Jackman has a Communications degree with a journalism major from the University of Technology Sydney. After graduating, he pursued drama at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, immediately after which he was offered a starring role in the ABC TV prison drama Correlli, opposite his future wife Deborra-Lee Furness. Several TV guest roles followed, as an actor and variety compere. An accomplished singer, Jackman has starred as Gaston in the Australian production of Beauty and the Beast. He appeared as Joe Gillis in the Australian production of Sunset Boulevard. In 1998, he was cast as Curly in the Royal National Theatre's production of Trevor Nunn's Oklahoma. Jackman has made two feature films, the second of which, Erskineville Kings, garnered him an Australian Film Institute nomination for Best Actor in 1999. Recently, he won the part of Logan/Wolverine in the Bryan Singer- directed comic book movie X-Men. In his spare time, Hugh plays piano, golf and guitar and likes to windsurf.


X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009): $20,000,000

For Sunset Boulevard (as Joe Gillis), he won a Variety Club, a Mo and a Green Room Award as best male actor in a musical. He was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award in 1998 as Curly in the Royal National Theatre's Oklahoma!. Met his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, while co-starring in the Australian TV series "Correlli" (1995). He was one of the presenters at the 2002 Academy Awards, but says he'll think twice about attending again. He says, "I slept for about an hour and I'd have liked a little bit of sushi to come down. There'll be a lot of drunken parties back home and people betting and that's usually what I'm at, so getting up there in a suit and talking for a little bit is kind of bizarre." He was a last-minute addition to the X-Men (2000) cast. Dougray Scott was originally cast as Wolverine, but Mission: Impossible II (2000) required two extra months of shooting. Has starred in four movies with Halle Berry: X-Men (2000), Swordfish (2001), X2 (2003), and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). Was offered the role of "Captain William Gordon" in The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey (2005). Favorite curse word is "bullshit". Named Best Actor in a Musical by Drama Desk in New York for his portrayal of Peter Allen in "The Boy From Oz" (April 2004). Before attending WAAPA (Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts), he did a year-long acting program called "The Journey" at the Actors Centre in Sydney. In the X-Men movies, he plays Wolverine; in Van Helsing (2004), he goes after a monster called The Wolfman. His favorite food is sushi. Favorite word is "panache." Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2005 Razzie Award nominating ballot. He was listed as a suggestion in the Worst Actor category for his performance in the film Van Helsing (2004). However, he did not receive a nomination. He admitted after X-Men (2000) that it was difficult to summon up the rage and darkness necessary for the character of Logan/Wolverine and it took weeks of work with Bryan Singer to find the right tone for the character. After that, however, it was relatively easy for him to play the angry character. Adopted a girl, Ava Eliot Jackman (b. July 10, 2005), in July 2005. His two children have playtime sessions with Rupert Murdoch's younger children in New York. His stunt double for Van Helsing (2004) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) was Richard Bradshaw, his brother-in-law (sister's husband). Often his wife and, sometimes, members of his family stay with him while he is shooting on location. Doesn't smoke in real life. He says he finds it horrible to smoke in movies. Wants to produce and star in a film based on the life of "The Incredible Hulk" (1978) actor Bill Bixby. He and his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, suffered through two miscarriages, which they point to as the most difficult point in their lives. Both of their children are adopted. Upon meeting Olivia Newton-John (John Travolta introduced the two while he and Jackman were filming Swordfish (2001)), he confessed to her that under his desk in elementary school, there was a poster with Newton-John on it, and he would kiss the poster every day. Had to shave off all of the hair on his head and chest for scenes in the last third of the movie The Fountain (2006). People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" in 2008. One of his lifelong goals is to play Pharaoh in either a Broadway production or a West End London theatre production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.". Lives in New York City, New York.