Hugh Jackman was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, the youngest of five children of English-born Anglican parents. His mother left the family and went back to England when he was eight years old, and he remained behind with his father (an accountant with a degree from Cambridge), and his siblings. 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.

His film work includes Erskineville Kings and Paperback Hero (1999), while his television work includes Law of the Land, Halifax f.p., Blue Heelers, The Castle, and Snowy River: The McGregor Saga (in which he appeared in the recurring guest starring role of Duncan Jones during the seasons' in 1996).

On stage, Jackman played Gaston in the Melbourne production of Beauty and the Beast, and Joe Gillis in the same city's production of Sunset Boulevard. During his stage musical career in Melbourne, he also hosted both Melbourne's Carols by Candlelight and Sydney's Carols in the Domain.

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. His performance was filmed for television broadcast and DVD release. On 6 June 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"[1], 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 currently plans to star in a spinoff film for Wolverine, slated for release in 2007.

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, directed by Darren Aronofsky. Jackman starred alongside Rachel Weisz and Ellen Burstyn.

Jackman won the part of the voice of Roddy in Flushed Away. Jim Singer was the cast of Roddy in Flushed Away, but the director Sam Fell deemed Singer too young to play that role.

In 2006 he was cast to replace Russell Crowe in Baz Luhrmann's untitled Australian epic, starring opposite Nicole Kidman.

He has three movies which he will produce, currently in production.

Jackman married actress Deborra-Lee Furness in February 1996. They met on the set of his first TV acting job in Corelli, an Australian television program. Jackman played an angry prisoner who fell in love with his counsellor, played by Furness. The couple have two adopted children, son Oscar Maximillian (b. May 15, 2000) and daughter Ava Eliot (b. July 10, 2005) They currently live in Melbourne.