Who Are Hugh Jackman's Kids? Meet Son Oscar and Daughter Ava

Hugh Jackman‘s world revolves around his two kids! While he does care a ton about his iconic movie career, the most important people in the Australian-British actor’s life are his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, and their children, Oscar Jackman and Ava Jackman.

Hugh experienced fatherhood for the first time when he and Deb adopted their eldest son, Oscar, following his birth in 2000. The couple — who tied the knot in 1996 — expanded their family with the adoption of their youngest daughter, Ava, in 2005.

The longtime pair’s decision to adopt came after Deb suffered two miscarriages. The Wolverine star spoke candidly about his and his wife’s painful path to parenthood and explained how they took matters into their own hands after discovering they were unable to conceive children.

“It’s not easy,” Hugh once shared with the Herald Sun, revealing the struggles that came along with losing two babies. “You put a lot of time and effort into it, so it’s emotional. I think any parent can relate – 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.”

Although Hugh and Deb were never able to conceive, the Greatest Showman star knew it was complete “destiny” the moment he became Oscar and Ava’s dad.

“I don’t think of them as adopted – they’re our children,” he gushed to the outlet. “We feel things happened the way they are meant to. Obviously, biologically wasn’t the way we were meant to have children. Now, as we go through life together, sure there are challenges, but everyone’s in the right place with the right people. It sounds airy-fairy, but it’s something we feel very deeply.”

While Hugh wishes he could keep his kiddos young forever, the doting dad can’t run from the fact that Oscar and Ava are growing up. During a chat with People in April 2019, Hugh gave a glimpse inside his journey as a dad of young adults.

“My son is about to leave high school, and my daughter is about to go into high school. It’s amazing to just have conversations with them. But it took a bit of readjusting,” he shared at the time. “It went from ‘Hey, guys, these are the rules, we don’t do that,’ to having to give them reasons why.” Oscar has since gone on to pursue a higher education in the New York area.

Fortunately, the Golden Globe winner said he’s got the hang of how to deal with his kids’ changing temperaments. “Being a father has taught me so much,” he marveled. “When your focus is innately, deeply, 100 percent [about] these kids in your life and their well-being, it just seems to put everything into perspective.”

Scroll through the gallery below to learn all about Hugh and Deb’s two precious kids!

Oscar Jackman

Ever since the moment Hugh adopted his eldest child, they’ve shared an undesirable bond. It seems their father-son relationship has only grown strong as Oscar continues to grow up.

In fact, Hugh dished he’s not afraid to be his child’s wingman! The Logan actor recalled the time he helped Oscar talk to a girl by revealing he plays Wolverine in the X-Men movies.

“Once he was on the beach. He was about 13 [and] he was talking to a girl, who I guess to be about 15, and he started walking towards me,” he previously told Entertainment Tonight. “He 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.'”

So cool!

Ava Jackman

Being adopted into one of Hollywood’s famous families may sound enviable to some, but Hugh and Deb’s youngest daughter isn’t so fazed by her dad’s superstar status. Hugh told Closer‘s UK magazine that his daughter banned him from her ballet classes because he was attracting too much attention after he played P.T. Barnum in The Greatest Showman.

“My daughter does dance and I go watch her,” he said. “But after The Greatest Showman, I had 60 young girls in their tutus coming up to me and my daughter says, ‘You are not coming to dance again!’”

We wonder if Ava ever let Hugh return!