Hugh Jackman & Wife of 26 Years Proudly Raise Their Two Kids, for Whom They Went through 'Painful' Miscarriages

Before Hugh Jackman and his wife, Deborra Lee Furness, became parents of two, they endured several challenges trying to conceive children. Having been part of a broken family himself, Jackman wanted to fulfill his dream of being a father, regardless of the process.

Hugh Jackman first locked eyes with Deborra Lee Furness in 1995 while filming the television drama "Correlli." The series was memorable for the actor as it was his first job after attending drama school.

It became even more memorable when he met Furness, then a seasoned actress. As he recalled, Furness was in a car's front seat that picked him up. As she unbuckled her seatbelt and took off her sunglasses, she turned around and formally introduced herself to Jackman.

"I remember thinking, 'I like this girl,'" he said. Unfortunately, Deborra Lee Furness was not looking for romance then. They were only friends for a while, but with Jackman's persistence, they fell in love. Their relationship became a secret until they tied the knot eleven months later, on April 11, 1996.

When they married, Furness was already 40, so the couple wasted no time trying to start a family. As much as they were happily and blissfully married, the couple wanted their own children. Unfortunately, the road to parenthood was a bumpy one.

The Difficult Road to Parenthood

Initially, the couple planned to have two biological children before adding to their brood through adoption. They saw their future with several kids, so the couple was devastated and frustrated when they learned that they could not biologically conceive. Jackman explained:

"Trying to have children is wonderful, and when you feel as though that's not going to happen, there's a certain anxiety that goes with it."

Becoming parents suddenly seemed too complex, but they did not give up. Jackman and Furness sought help from IVF treatments, but every time they progressed, they would end up suffering from a miscarriage. "It was painful,” Jackman recalled.

Jackman and Furness' first son, Oscar Maximillian, was adopted in 2000 during an open adoption process. This meant that the couple personally knew Oscar's family and selected a healthy child.

Jackman will never forget the miscarriages they endured. "It's almost secretive," he said of miscarriages rarely being discussed. "It's more common, and it is tough. There's a grieving that you have to go through."

The Adoption Process

Jackman and Furness have planned to adopt children before learning about their fertility struggles. However, when they had enough of the treatments, they decided to adopt all their kids instead. As "The Greatest Showman" star recalled, starting the adoption process made them feel the anxiety leave their system.

They felt it was their destiny to adopt kids they would treat as their own. "I don't think of them as adopted," Jackman said. "They're our children.

Jackman and Furness' first son, Oscar Maximillian, was adopted in 2000 during an open adoption process. This meant that the couple personally knew Oscar's family and selected a healthy child. Meanwhile, the process for their second child was a closed adoption.

The actors' kids are mixed raced, a choice they made without thinking twice. During the adoption process, the couple selected the mixed-race option on the questionnaire. The official then informed them that they did not have to tick the box just because they thought it was right.

Unlike her brother, Ava wasn't so thrilled to have an actor for a father. As her father recalled, Ava banned him from her ballet classes after he starred in "The Greatest Showman."

However, the couple's choice was final, and they did not see any need to choose a particular category out of preference and discrimination.

Jackman and Furness Are Proud Parents to Mixed Race Children

Oscar Jackman is of Bosnian-Croation ancestry, so when he was seven, his parents bought him a cookbook with recipes from his heritage. Oscar was very proud of his race as his parents encouraged him to embrace his roots.

Raising Oscar had been remarkable for Jackman and Furness. With grown kids, they could have more profound conversations and bond over better movie selections.

The proud parents also have a close relationship with their son. During a previous interview, Jackman recalled the time then-13-year-old Oscar was on the beach and talking to a girl. He narrated:

"[Oscar] came up to me, and he started walking ahead of the girl, and he goes, 'Dad, Dad, Dad, she's coming over. I told her you're Wolverine. Just go with it.' I was like, 'I am the wingman for my boy.'"

Meanwhile, the couple's youngest child, Ava Jackman, has a Mexican lineage. Unlike her brother, Ava wasn't so thrilled to have an actor for a father. As her father recalled, Ava banned him from her ballet classes after he starred in "The Greatest Showman."

Besides the happiness their kids brought, becoming a parent changed the couple in many ways. Furness claimed that it has made her wiser and helped her assess her actions.

He claimed about 60 young ballerinas would come up to him, amazed that they were interacting with a movie star in real life. Jackman and Furness fully embrace their children's heritage and are not bothered by their identity.

According to Jackman, gender and race are only biological traits and do not define the person his children are. He added:

"A lot of people go into [adoption thinking] it's really important to them for the kid to look like them, and honestly, for Deb and I, that just never even was an issue."

Their Parenthood Journey

Besides the happiness their kids brought, becoming a parent changed the couple in many ways. Furness claimed that it has made her wiser and helped her assess her actions.

One of the biggest challenges they faced was overcoming cultural and generational differences. Although as time passed, they learned to incorporate their children's ancestry into daily activities.

Meanwhile, fatherhood has taught Jackman to put things in perspective. He made several adjustments to get used to the changes as his kids grew older. At the end of the day, he wouldn't have it any other way.