Ten Things You Never Knew About Hugh Jackman

Muscle-bound thespian Hugh Jackman returns to the big screen this week for his fourth outing as Marvel superhero Wolverine. The Aussie, who has also scored blockbuster success with Australia, Van Helsing and The Prestige, will be getting his claws out and heading for a scrap in X-Men Origins: Wolverine from April 29. But how much do you actually know about the bloke behind those fuzzy sideburns? Read on for ten intriguing facts about the 40-year-old that you probably never knew.

1. Jackman was born on October 12, 1968 in Sydney to dad Chris and mum Grace. He is the youngest of five siblings, with two brothers and two sisters.

2. The muscular leading man turned down the chance to appear alongside Harold, Lou and Madge in legendary Aussie soap Neighbours in 1991, choosing instead to study at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. We reckon Hugh probably made the right decision in the long run.

3. A hit with the ladies, Hugh made People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People In The World list for five years in a row between 2000 and 2004.

4. Before becoming a glamorous Hollywood A-lister, Hugh had to slum it like the rest of us with bizarre part-time jobs to fund studying. At one point he even worked in a clown double act called Coco and Bozo, who used to climb in dustbins and throw eggs at each other.

5. Jackman almost didn't land his most famous role as Wolverine. Dougray Scott was initially pencilled in for the film, but had to pull out because of commitment to Mission Impossible II.

6. During his youth, Hugh was forced to work in a gas station for extra cash. He only decided to give the $10-an-hour job up when a co-worker was held up with a shotgun.

7. Never let it be said that Hugh doesn't throw himself into his stunts. During filming for X-Men Jackman injured his testicles in a harness while attempting a six-foot jump off a mock-up Statue of Liberty.

8. Jackman's charisma and good looks don't just please audiences - his co-stars love him as well! "The love he radiates is sublime," says Ashley Rudd. "He's the perfect man," claims Rebecca Romjin. Meanwhile, Maureen Lipmann adds: "Women, men, children and dogs completely go to pieces when Hugh takes his shirt off."

9. However, Hugh isn't quite the perfect man - he suffers from being near-sighted. When hosting live shows (Saturday Night Live, The Tonys), Jackman often has to memorise whole scripts because he can't read from an autocue.

10. One of Hugh Jackman's more unusual celebrity friends is media mogul Rupert Murdoch. "[Rupert] is a real family man - he's always incredibly interested in my kids and we hung out at his place on Boxing Day," revealed Hugh. We bet he gets free Sky subscription as well, the lucky bleeder.