Hugh Jackman's latest film Prisoners has just been released in UK cinemas.
In honour of Hugh's acting achievements, HELLO! Online has compiled a list of the top ten facts about the ruggedly handsome Hollywood star.
Which actress did Hugh fancy as a teenager? What unglamorous nightshift job did the actor take up as a young lad? And how does his adopted son Oscar use his father's fame to his advantage?
© Photo: Getty Images1. Hugh Jackman is an Australian actor but he was born in Sydney to English parents. His father was originally from Cambridge and raised his children in a fairly strict manner, to the extent that Hugh's friends weren't always keen on play dates. Ever since his mother left the family to return to her native England, Hugh has had a strained relationship with her and still gets emotional remembering his childhood. The Hollywood star broke down in tears in an interview in 2012 when he recalled the day she left.
2. The Les Miserables star made his acting debut was at the tender age of five, when Hugh performed on stage in a play called Camelot.
3. Hugh wasn't always destined to be an actor. He graduated from university with a BA in Communications and wanted to become a journalist but decided he wasn't passionate enough.
4. As a teenager, Hugh had a young boy crush on Olivia Newton-John. He kept a poster of the Grease actress under his desk.
© Photo: Getty Images5. The ruggedly handsome actor has done his fair share of unglamorous jobs. As a teenager Hugh spent years working the night shift at a gas station, and while at university he took on a series of odd jobs. One of his more amusing stints was working as a clown at children's parties.
6. Hugh attended an audition for Neighbours and was offered a year-long contract, but turned down the role to pursue an all-round theatre education at the Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts in Perth. Straight out of the course, Hugh starred in Beauty and the Beast as the macho suitor Gaston.Hugh was also forced to turn down the role of James Bond to Daniel Craig, due to conflicting work schedules.
7. Hugh is perhaps most famous for his superhero role as Wolverine in the Hollywood hit X-Men. To get in character, Hugh would walk around his home wearing his pointy claws to get accustomed to them.At the time, the strong actor was able to bench press a whopping 325 pounds (147 kilograms), and lived on a 6,000-calorie diet to bulk up. While on set for vampire thriller Van Helsing, Hugh has also unintentionally broken an extra's hand.
© Photo: Getty Images8. The good-looking star has always been popular with the ladies, and was made it into People's '50 Most beautiful People in the World' five years in a row. Hugh has officially been off the market since 1996 when he married Australian actress Deborra-Lee Furness. The couple have two adopted children, Oscar Maximilian and Ava Eliot.
9. His 13-year-old son Oscar knows how to use his father's fame to his advantage. "Oscar said to me the other day, 'Dad, two o'clock, hot chick.' He walks over, and I heard him say, 'Hey, my dad's Wolverine.' That's his opening line," said Hugh. "He brings them over and asks, 'Dad, can we have a few autographs for the girls?' I'm like, 'Am I pimping for my kids?'"
10. Hugh is a man of many talents, with a particular gift for music. The Hollywood star plays the guitar, violin and piano and sings. Hugh serenaded Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban during their 2006 nuptials.
