Hollywood marriages are notoriously short-lived. Whether they’re 24-hour Vegas affairs, a trudge through a year before splitting up, or even the unexpected breakup of our favorite power couples, it seems that maintaining a loving relationship gets harder when you’re under the spotlight.
But not every marriage in Hollywood ends. Many, in fact, have staying power. We could rattle off names for a solid few minutes — Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Meryl Streep and Don Gummer, Denzel Washington and Pauletta Pearson, and on — but we’re here to talk about one couple in particular: Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness. They’ve have been married for more than two decades, and they seem just as in love now as ever. “She’s the greatest thing that ever happened to me, and it just gets better and better,” Jackman told Ellen DeGeneres in 2016.
In case you’re not as obsessed with this couple as we are, we’ve rounded up some things that are worth knowing about Deborra-lee Furness.
A version of this article was originally published in June 2016.
25 Years & Counting
In April 2021, Hugh Jackman commemorated his and Deborra-Lee Furness’ 25th wedding anniversary with the most touching throwback. “Being married to you Deb is as natural as breathing,” the actor wrote in his Instagram caption, alongside images from the couple’s wedding.
“From nearly the moment we met … I knew our destiny was to be together. In our 25 years – our love has only grown deeper. The fun, excitement and adventure more exhilarating; the learning even greater. I’m forever grateful to share our love, our life – and, our family together. We’ve only just begun. Deb, I love you with all my heart!” Wow, ok, now we’re crying.
The Pandemic Brought The Couple Closer Together
Despite being married for more than two decades, Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness found that it was actually the pandemic that brought them closer together than they had been before! “We have never spent this much time together,” Jackman told Extra in July 2020.
“Having this time without either of us working, being with the family, we’ve had the opportunity to be together, and the results are in: Closer.”
She’s Spoken Out About Speculation Regarding Her Husband’s Sexuality
In September 2020, Deborra-Lee Furness got very candid about certain speculation regarding her husband’s sexuality. “I see these magazines. They’re so mean-spirited. So mean-spirited. I hope people don’t buy these magazines and realize it’s all made up,” she said on the Australian TV show Anh’s Brush with Fame.
“He’s been gay so many years,” she said while laughing, quipping, “I was gay, too.” Furness called the rumors and speculation around her husband’s sexuality “just wrong. It’s like someone saying to Elton John, ‘He’s straight.’ I’m sure he’d be pissed,” she said.
They Met on ‘Correlli’
In fact, acting is how Furness and Hugh Jackman met in 1995: on the set of his first major acting gig, an Australian drama series called Correlli.
First Kiss
We’ve mentioned that the couple met on the set of Corelli (in which Furness played the title role), but what you probably didn’t know is this is also when they shared their first kiss, Heavy reports.
Rules Make Their Marriage Work
Jackman and Furness have a relationship that many could only dream about. After marrying on April 11, 1996, their relationship has gone from strength to strength, and Jackman is more than happy to gush about his wife during interviews.
But it’s also her rules that have helped them maintain such a wonderful relationship. “Deb had a rule: Never be apart for more than two weeks,” he said during an interview with the Today Show.
She’s 13 Years Older
Furness is 64 years old (born Dec. 8, 1955), making her 13 years older than Jackman, a topic that has been widely reported. But in an interview with Katie Couric, Jackman revealed that he actually seems much older than his wife. He said, “Anyone that knows Deb, literally, I am the old fuddy-duddy of the relationship.”
Adopted Children
Before she and Jackman went ahead with adoption, Furness struggled through IVF and suffered two miscarriages.
According to Heavy, they adopted their son, Oscar Maximillian Jackman, in 2000 and their daughter, Ava Eliot Jackman, in 2005.
She’s a Go-Getter
“It’s almost annoying. She has two speeds: Stop and Go. She is always, ‘Let’s do this, let’s do that.’ And she is very funny, very quick,” Jackman told Good Housekeeping.
She’s Outspoken About Women’s Rights
Furness isn’t afraid of being outspoken, especially when it involves women’s and children’s rights. In January 2018, she released a video giving a voice to children, the most vulnerable victims of a fractured world.
She’s an Actor
Born in Sydney, Australia, Furness is an actress who graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.
According to Famous Birthdays, she made her big-screen debut in the 1985 film Crossover Dreams, but she has also been in films like Jenny Kissed Me, Cool Change and The Humpty Dumpty Man.
Famous Faces
Hugh Jackman is not the only one in the relationship to have acted opposite some big names in the industry.
Among her appearances, Furness played a supporting role in the 2008 film Sleepwalking, which stars Charlize Theron and Nick Stahl.
One of the Most Loved Australians
Furness has been recognized for her work as a child advocate and as an adoption campaigner and was the National Finalist Australian of the Year 2015 — an award celebrating the achievements and contributions of Australians.
She’s an Ambassador
Furness is also known for her charity work, most notably her work with orphans as a World Vision ambassador.
According to the Australian of the Year Awards, she has traveled through Asia and Africa in the hopes of raising awareness for the global orphan crisis.
She Established the National Adoption Awareness Week
In 2008, Furness established the National Adoption Awareness Week, a volunteer-led campaign.
She also launched the Adopt Change program in 2014, which strives to help overturn Australia’s anti-adoption culture and lobbies for national adoption reform.
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