The unforgettable first impression made by Deborra-Lee Furness remains fresh in Jackman's mind to this date.
Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness tied the knot over 26 years ago and their relationship is still going strong. The two first met on the sets of the Australian TV show, Corelli, about 27 years ago. Speaking to PEOPLE about that life-changing meeting, Jackman said, "I remember thinking, I like this girl." The unforgettable first impression Furness made that day remains fresh in Jackman's mind to this date. Within a few weeks of meeting the actress, the star realized he had found his soulmate.
Jackman shared four years ago that it didn't take him very long to know that she was "the one" for him. "I saw this guy on the set, who was watching Deb, I saw him manufacture 'Oh there you are,' just to you know, to start a conversation, I remembered thinking, so pathetic he's got a crush, but the moment I said it, I realized that I was jealous, that I had a crush and I was mortified, this was maybe 6 weeks into shooting and Deb and I are already best friends and I am like [gasps], 'I have got a crush on my leading lady.'"
In an interview with ABC TV a couple of years ago, Furness revealed that she once went to see a fortune teller who told her that she was going to meet someone in Australia. As we all now know, this prediction came true when Jackman walked into her life. When asked if the relationship was a result of instant attraction the actress said: "It was instant attraction as in, it was probably the best tennis match I had ever played, like working with Hugh we were just... you know how it just flows!"
She added: "When you find a partner in crime that you share, and you grow together... When you got kids and life... and you're loved... It's nothing better."
After tying the knot in 1996, the star couple started building their life together in Australia before eventually migrating to the US in the early 2000s. Following their move, they adopted two kids, a boy named Oscar and a girl named Ava.
The happy couple celebrated their 26th anniversary in April this year. The actor took to Instagram to share a tribute to his better half, writing: "Today I celebrate 26 years of marriage to my extraordinary wife. Every single day is filled with so much laughter, joy, and backgammon!!!! Deb, you light up my life. I love you with all my heart!"
While the couple appears to have cracked the code to a long and happy marital life, Furness has time and again had to defend her husband on the infamous allegation of him being gay. "I mean, hello guys - if he was gay, he could be gay," she said while speaking on the Not an Overnight Success podcast earlier this year. "He didn't have to hide in the closet anymore, and he'd be dating Brad Pitt, or whatever. Not that Brad's gay, but you know what I'm saying. It's so silly, and then people perpetuate silly things and it's boring."
During the interview, the mother-of-two was also asked how she and Jackman react to watching their spouse star in intimate on-screen moments. "When I'm sitting in the theatre watching—especially if I'm with the kids—I feel a little uncomfortable," she said. "But also, a lot of the time, I'm very good friends with the actress he's making out with as we're making a film, we all get to know each other."
References:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOCm-L88kQc&t=22s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oin6QSVKdEU&t=170s
Cover Image Source: Getty Images (L) Mike Coppola (R) Lawrence Lucier
