He may be “The Greatest Showman,” but Hugh Jackman works hard at being the greatest father on earth.
The 54-year-old actor shares son Oscar, 23, and daughter Ava, 18, with fellow Aussie Deborra-lee Furness, whom he was married to for 27 years before announcing their split in September 2023.
“We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage,” they shared in a joint statement to People on Friday.
“Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth. Our family has been and always will be our highest priority. We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness,” the statement continued.
They added: “We greatly appreciate your understanding in respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition in all of our lives.”
The couple first met on the set of the Australian drama series Correlli in1995. After saying “I do” on April 11, 1996, they expanded their family by adopting Oscar in 2000 and Ava in 2005.
In an interview with The Radio Times, Hugh admitted that he and Furness had “really different ideas about being a parent.” It was a realization that came after they had adopted.
“You fall in love with someone and you work out your relationship, it’s great! All of a sudden, we had kids,” he explained. “The way I was parented, the way she was parented… all of a sudden… whoosh! And it wasn’t just Deb and I, it was somehow our pasts coming together.”
He continued, “We had really different ideas about being a parent. And we never really pre-discussed it. We just assumed: we love each other, we don’t argue, that’s going to be fine!”
As a parent, Jackman found it especially important to teach his two kids how fortunate they both are.
“My kids have so many advantages,” the “Deadpool 3” star told People in an interview in 2018. “And I want them to know that they have a responsibility to use those advantages to help others. My kids are constantly reminded about how lucky we are in our family. We’re ridiculously blessed. We live in a beautiful home in places that other people dream of. But in terms of the world, we’re even more blessed One out of six people doesn’t have clean drinking water. They can’t comprehend how we live.”
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The importance of charity work and helping those less fortunate were values instilled in Jackman when he was also a child.
“I was brought up with parents who both did volunteer work and community work,” he said. “They gave back. After my father retired, he donated his services as an accountant to developing nations for three years. So it always felt normal to me to give back. I want it to feel normal for my kids.”
In regards to his latest film “The Son,” which just enjoyed a North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Jackman described how his family supported him during filming. “My wife said to me, “You’re the last person I would describe as a hot mess. But during this you have been a hot mess.’ My sleep was off. I don’t think I thought so at the time, but I look back now and see that there was a real parallel to what [my character] Peter was going through.”
He concluded: “Both my kids would notice a difference [in me] for sure!”
