Hugh Jackman busted into the mainstream spotlight in 2000 when he starred in "X-Men." It was a role that made him a bona fide star, but it was also a role from which he was nearly X-ed out!
During his stage show "Hugh Jackman: The Man. The Music. The Show," the actor dished on his iconic role as Wolverine.
"I was told that things weren't really working out as they hoped. I was about to get fired from my first Hollywood movie — the biggest of my career," he told the crowd in London. "I was angry, I went home to my wife and I complained. I was [complaining] an Olympic level of [complaining] to Deb, my wife, and moaning about this person and that person."
Hugh's wife of now 23 years, Deborra-Lee Furness, listened patiently to him for an hour before telling him to trust himself and trust his work.
He recalled her telling him, "You are worrying way too much about what everyone else is thinking. Just go back to the character, focus on that, trust your instinct. … You've got this."
That, he said, was the motivation he needed at the time.
"To me that was love. Someone that believes in you when you don't fully believe in yourself," he said. "This show is dedicated to Deb and the kids."
Throughout the show, the star of "The Greatest Showman" spoke openly about his wife, their two children, Oscar and Ava, and his father.
He also recalled a now-laughable incident when his father attended Hugh's performance at Carnegie Hall in 2002. Hugh's excitement about performing at the legendary venue turned to embarrassment when his dad showed up in a black tie, which was not the dress code.
The actor's dad wouldn't budge, and he unapologetically told the then-young actor, "My son is performing at Carnegie Hall. I am going to wear black tie."