‘I knew it was kind of a goodbye’: Hugh Jackman opens up on the loss of his ‘extraordinary’ dad

Australian superstar Hugh Jackman has opened up about the death of his beloved father, Christopher, revealing how he coped following the tragic loss and what spurred him to keep moving forward.

In an exclusive interview with Variety, Jackman made the heartbreaking admission that he was aware that his father “was nearing the end”.

“So he was ostensibly gone, mentally. He would still smile a bit. I didn’t know he was going to physically pass away, but I knew it was kind of a goodbye,” Jackman revealed.

Following the death of his father, Jackman jumped right back into work and began filming The Son. Jackman cited his father’s dedication as his inspiration to keep working rather than taking time off to mourn.

“My father never missed a day of work,’ he explained.

“I could feel him. I knew if he could talk to me, he’d be like, ‘You’ve got to go to work! What are you talking about?’ I felt his presence on the set.”

Jackman’s father was a regular on his son’s film sets, often taking a seat backstage to work on his crossword puzzles and it was this memory that brought some peace to The Greatest Showman star.

“I had an image of him on set, standing behind the action. My father worked incredibly hard — looking after five kids, the weight of the world on his shoulders,” he said.

“I had the feeling of him being completely free. That really helped me.”

 

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Jackman was left devastated after his “extraordinary” father passed away on Father’s Day in 2021 at the age of 84. The Aussie star took to Instagram in the early hours of the morning to announce his father’s death while paying tribute to a man who dedicated much of his life to his family and work.

“In the early hours of Father’s Day (AU), my Dad peacefully passed away,” he wrote at the time.

“And whilst there is deep sadness, I am filled with such gratitude and love. My Dad was, in a word, extraordinary.

“He devoted his life to his family, his work and his faith. I pray he is now at peace with God.”

 

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Jackman recently opened up about another tragic loss he was forced to navigate, that of his beloved dog Dali who sadly passed at the age of 11.

 

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The Prestige star expressed to his followers that “it’s a very sad day for our family” after his four-legged friend passed away on Saturday, August 6.

“Dali, our beloved Frenchie, passed away last night,” he wrote.

“He would’ve been 12 next month … which I’m told is a long life for this breed. I always, always called him the ROCKSTAR. Because he was! He marched to the beat of his own drum, was beloved by the whole world, and boy did he have a good life.

“We will miss him but know he’s howling in heaven, ruling the roost and enjoying the all you can eat buffet. RIP Dali Rockstar Jackman. We love you!”