If it weren’t for Hugh Jackman’s wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, the world might have never seen the actor played the iconic Jean Valjean in “Les Miserables” – and the actor wouldn’t have been celebrating at Sunday’s Golden Globes!
Hugh spoke with Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush backstage at the Globes about how he almost gave up on his award-winning role.
“It was a really bad day,” he said of the time when he considered leaving the Tom Hooper-directed musical. “It was a scene at the end. It was the very scene – spoiler alert – when I die. I had this dual thing of having to sing, and then at the end of the song, die, and make it believable. Not a lot of people choose song in their last minute-and-a-half, right?
“So, Tom is like, ‘Do it this way, that way.’ It just wasn’t working, and I just went, ‘Debra – it’s just too much.’ I’ll never forget it, she said, ‘If you don’t feel doubt playing Jean Valjean, then you were never meant to play the role,’” the actor recounted to Billy. “I went, ‘So, I should do it?” And she went, ‘Absolutely. You do it.’ That was it.”
The 44-year-old actor gushed about his wife of almost 20 years and her continued support over the course of his career.
“I feel so lucky… she’s the greatest woman… I’ve always felt that we shared it, all the ups and downs. We’ve been there together, no matter what. Having the security and knowledge that someone you love, who loves you for exactly who you are, whether you’re successful, whether you’re not successful,” Hugh explained. “In those moments of real doubt…she was the only one who could really pull me off that cliff.”
Adding, “We’ve been together 17, 18 years now, and it just gets better every year.”
Hugh is also hoping Deborra steps back into the acting spotlight.
“She’s got to get back acting,” he said. “She’s literally one of the greatest actors I know!”
— Jesse Spero
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