What Hugh Jackman's Wife Really Does For A Living

From "Wolverine" to "Les Misérables," Hugh Jackman is a household name the world over. It might surprise many to know, then, that when he met his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, she was actually the better known actor between the two. 

Back in 2013, Jackman told Oprah Winfrey that when he and Furness first met in the 90s — on the set of the Australian drama series "Correlli" — he was a total newbie. "It was my first job, and she was the star of it," he shared. What's more, he added that at the time of their meeting, "Deb had done 25 films." However, a few years later, the dynamic would change. Per Variety, Jackman got his big break on the international stage when he was cast for "X-Men" – and the rest is history. 

Unfortunately for Furness, her husband's star status has led to her career taking something of a backseat over the years — something Jackman himself also spoke about with Winfrey. "She'll call it the chopped liver syndrome. I've literally seen her knocked away, people trying to push her aside," he admitted. However, even if she's not as regular an actor as she once was, Hugh Jackman's longtime love still has a lot going on. 

Deborra-Lee Furness might battle "Chopped liver syndrome" (via Oprah) in Hollywood, but that's not to say she hasn't racked up some showbiz credits over the last 20 years. 

Per her IMDb profile, Furness has several behind-the-scenes credits to her name. For starters, she's billed as more than an actor and is credited as a writer, producer, and director, too. Of her directing credits, one of her most recent is the famed Australian soap opera, "Neighbours." Yup — the very same show that's launched countless Australian actors' careers, from Margot Robbie to "Chicago Fire" actor Jesse Spencer. As for her producing career, she's been the executive producer for many Aussie-based shows. 

That said, while Furness has spent a lot of her time behind the camera, she's also earned some acting credits in recent years. In fact, she worked as a voice actor in a 2013 episode of "Phineas and Ferb." On top of that, she's set to return to the big screen with two roles, an Australian film starring Eric Bana and a Manhattan-based comedy series. Here's hoping that'll mean audiences around the world will finally get a chance to know and love her. After all, according to Hugh Jackman, we've been missing out. In a sweet Instagram post addressed to his wife last year, Jackman gushed, "She is the greatest actress I have worked with ... And, I'm not just saying that!" 

Deborra-Lee Furness may make a living in show business, but much of her time is dedicated to unpaid labor. Furness is a fierce advocate for a number of causes close to her heart — and she's been recognized for it, too. 

As many fans of Furness and Hugh Jackman are aware, the couple is adoptive parents to two children. However, their journey to parenthood was filled with struggle due to all the red tape involved, and after going through the experience, Furness resolved to make a difference. In 2015, she was named the New South Wales state recipient of the Australian of the Year Awards for launching National Adoption Awareness Week and the Adopt Change campaign. She was also recognized for co-founding the Jackman Furness Foundation for the Performing Arts alongside her husband. Since then, she's also founded another organization, Hopeland. Of the organization, she told Today, "Hopeland addresses the big question: why are there so many children that are not living in a permanent family?"

Given her years-long dedication to giving back, it's hardly surprising that in the same Instagram post where Hugh Jackman applauded her acting chops, he also revealed some exciting news. "So proud of Deb! Today she was named an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia," he wrote. Deborra-Lee Furness might not be as recognized as "Wolverine," but we'd argue she's a pretty powerful force in her own right.