Hugh Jackman was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, the youngest of five children of English-born Anglican parents. Jackman attended Knox Grammar School, an all-boys school in Wahroonga, New South Wales, and graduated from the University of Technology, Sydney with a BA in Communications, having majored in journalism. Jackman's introduction to acting was by accident, as he had to take an acting class as part of the requirements for a college diploma. He became interested in the craft and used some money inherited from a relative to attend the WAAPA of Edith Cowan University in Perth, from which he graduated in 1994.

He first became known outside of Australia when he played the leading role of Curly in the Royal National Theatre's acclaimed stage production of "Oklahoma!" in the West End of London in England. In 2002, Jackman sang the role of Billy Bigelow in "Carousel" in a special concert performance at Carnegie Hall in Manhattan, New York City. He was a last-minute addition to the X-Men cast. Dougray Scott was originally cast as Wolverine, but Scott was tied up on the set of "Mission: Impossible 2" for two additional months of shooting. Jackman, at 6' 2 1/2", stands close to a foot taller than Wolverine, who is reported by Marvel Comics to be 5' 3". Therefore, most shots of Wolverine had to be shot in creative ways to make Jackman appear shorter than he actually is; for example, he was often given half-body shots or upward camera angle shots.

Despite this, Jackman's performance was highly praised and the film's success immediately made him a star. He reprised the role in 2003's "X2: X-Men United" and "2006's X-Men: The Last Stand." Jackman was also in two spinoff films for Wolverine.

In 2004, Jackman won a Tony Award for his Broadway portrayal of Australian songwriter and performer Peter Allen in "The Boy from Oz." He hosted the Tony Awards in 2004 and 2005, garnering very positive reviews. The televisation of the these awards earned him an Emmy Award win for Outstanding Individual Performer in a Variety, Musical or Comedy program in 2005.

In 2004, he was part of an advertising campaign for pay-tv company Foxtel. He was named Company Magazine's 35th Sexiest Man Alive in the same year. 2005 saw him cast in the lead role of "The Fountain." Jackman won the part of the voice of Roddy in "Flushed Away" as well.

He is also known for his leads in "Kate & Leopold," "Van Helsing," "The Prestige," "Australia," "Real Steel," "Les Misérables" and "Prisoners." His work in "Les Misérables" earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy in 2013. He is also a singer, dancer and actor in stage musicals, and won a Tony Award for his role in "The Boy from Oz."

A three-time host of the Tony Awards, winning an Emmy Award for one of these appearances, Jackman also hosted the 81st Academy Awards in 2009.

Jackman portrays the villain Blackbeard in the film Pan, which revolves around the back-stories of J.M. Barrie's characters Peter Pan and Captain Hook. He will also appear as fictional ski coach Bronson Peary in Eddie the Eagle, which portrays how Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards became the first competitor to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping in 1988.He has also been cast as P. T. Barnum in the film The Greatest Showman on Earth, due out in 2017.

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