Hugh Jackman has announced the tragic news that his “extraordinary” dad Christopher has passed away on Father’s Day (AU).
The Australian actor, who is famed for hit film franchises like Wolverine, took to Instagram to share the sad news to his fans on Instagram and confessed that he was filled with a “deep sadness”.
Posting a sweet snap of him standing next to his late father, he wrote: “In the early hours of Father’s Day (AU), my Dad peacefully passed away. ”
“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.”
(Image: Instagram)
Hugh’s British father, who was a Cambridge University-educated accountant, was believed to have been around 84 years old when he passed.
Christopher raised The Greatest Showman star Hugh and his two brothers, Ian and Ralph, as a single father in Sydney, Audtralia.
Hugh was only eight-years-old when his mother Grace left Australia and returned to England in the late 70s, leaving Christopher to raise their children on his own.
Hugh’s sisters, Zoe and Sonya, went to live with Grace in the UK, her native country, after the couple divorced.
(Image: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Hugh, Ian and Ralph continued to live with their father in Sydney.
Recalling his childhood, Hugh admitted that it was “traumatic”.
He said: “I thought she [Grace] was probably going to come back. And then it sort of dragged on and on.”
The Broadway legend also commented that he only saw his mother about “once a year” after she left the family.
Speaking on Australian chat show 60 Minutes, Hugh broke down as he chatted about his mother leaving them, and called his father his “rock”.
He said: “My father is my rock. It’s where I learned everything about loyalty, dependability, being there day in, day out, no matter what,”
He added: “It’s always about the family,”, explaining the values that his father has taught him.
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