Deborra-lee Furness is making headlines for her high-profile split from husband of almost 30 years, Hollywood star Hugh Jackman.
This week, Furness, 69, broke her silence on their marriage breakdown with a lengthy statement following reports she had officially filed for divorce from the star.
While Furness was there right by Jackman’s side as he became a household name in Hollywood with roles including in X-Men, some fans may not realise that Furness made a name for herself in the world of acting long before Jackman, now 56, came along.
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Furness, who hails from Sydney, started acting in the ’70s and landed shows including Neighbours and The Flying Doctors in the ’80s.
One of her standout roles was in 1988’s R-rated film Shame, where she starred as the no-nonsense character Asta Cadell, a prosecutor, helping a teen rape victim in a small country town.
It was the 1995 TV series Correlli where her and Jackman met on set; Furness portrayed the prison psychologist character Louisa Correlli, while Jackman was cast as inmate Kevin Jones.
Their characters had a forbidden romance on the show, and love translated in real life for Furness and Jackman.
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”My first job out of drama school – it was a massive break for me. I was really scared,” Jackman recalled in 2017 to People editor-in-chief on The Jess Cagle Interview about working on the show with his future wife.
He said Furness was the one with the star power at the time and was won over by the way she first introduced herself to him.
“Deb, she was a big star. I get picked up, and Deb is in the front seat of the car. I’ll never forget. She took off her seatbelt and she turned around and put out her hand and took off her sunglasses and said, ‘Hi, I’m Deborra-lee Furness, nice to meet you.’ I remember thinking, ‘I like this girl.'”
The pair went on to marry a year later, in a ceremony in Victoria in April 1996 at St. John’s in Toorak.
More recently, Furness has appeared in films including Jindabyne, the series Hyde & Seek and Force of Nature: The Dry 2, starring Aussie star Eric Bana.
“I love playing women that are great role models for younger girls,” she told People abut working on Force of Nature: The Dry 2.
“Women are great leaders or women can do this. So, I like to play women who’ve got something to say.”
In 2020, Furness, who shares two adopted children with Jackman, also returned to Neighbours to direct three episodes raising awareness about adoption and foster care, a cause close to her heart.
In 2014, humanitarian Furness founded Adopt Change; which aims to help children in need.
In a chat published on The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, Furness spoke about the iconic film Shame and how it recently aired at a New York film festival.
Deborra-lee Furness’ life and career in pictures
“It was great to have my daughter in the audience as a 15-year-old seeing her mother kick ass on a motorbike, number one,” she said.
“I was really proud of that film. I loved the character. I love what it had to say, and I know a lot of Australian students studied that film, so I’m proud of it.”
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Furness previously told Stellar that she doesn’t “want to be judged as ‘Mrs Jackman'” and is a successful actress and producer in her own right.
“I just want to be seen for who I am. I don’t want to be judged as ‘Mrs Jackman’,” she told the publication.
“People put you in a box and have an idea of who you are. It’s annoying; I don’t like that.”
Just days ago, Furness broke her silence after reportedly filing for divorce from husband Hugh Jackman.
In a statement shared with Nine, Furness said: “My heart and compassion goes out to everyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal.
“It’s a profound wound that cuts deep, however I believe in a higher power and that God/the universe, whatever you relate to as your guidance, is always working FOR us.”
“This belief has helped me navigate the breakdown of an almost three-decade marriage. I have gained much knowledge and wisdom through this experience.
“Even when we are presented with apparent adversity, it is leading us to our greatest good, our true purpose.”
She went on to say she has found “liberation and freedom” post-split and is “grateful” for her life path.
DailyMail.com first reported the news that Furness had filed for divorce from Jackman, after they announced their split in September 2023.
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