Hugh Jackman revealed how he truly feels about the monarchy, after predicting his native Australia will eventually cut ties with the British Royal Family and become a republic. In a 2023 interview with the BBC, the actor, who turns 57 today, said he believed the shift was “inevitable” and described it as a “natural part of evolution”. Despite his stance, Jackman made it clear he held “no ill will” toward King Charles, adding that he wished the Royal Family “all the best”.
Jackman’s parents are both English and he recalled celebrating royal occasions as a child, including the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. “My father made us stop doing whatever we could in 1981 to watch the wedding of Lady Di and Prince Charles,” he told Laura Kuenssberg. “We had Champagne… there was no bunting at our house but if my dad could have found it there would have been.”
Despite believing Australia will eventually become a republic, the X-Men star said he still appreciates and admires the work of the Royal Family.
“I have absolutely no ill will, and I only wish King Charles all the best,” Jackman said at the time. “I see and really appreciate the service and I’ve witnessed it.
He added: “I’ve met the Queen on several occasions, the Queen Mother and Prince Charles, and I see and feel a real genuine desire to be of service to the public, and I appreciate that and I admire it and I only wish them the best.”
In fact, Jackman’s admiration for King Charles runs so deep that he even floated the idea of giving the monarch a cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Speaking about the film in an interview with Sky News in 2023, he said: “It’s mainly joy and excitement and fun [but] I have trepidation in that I have many, many hours every day with Ryan Reynolds. That’s going to be a real mental health stretch for me, but I don’t know, maybe we’ll get King Charles in there to do a cameo.
“What do you think, Your Majesty – little cameo? You’re welcome to punch Ryan Reynolds as many times as you like, Your Majesty.”
The Australian actor noted that, as a British citizen, the Royal Family has always been a part of his own family’s history.
He added: “I wish the new monarch all the best – it’s an insurmountable role to take on and I admire him for taking it on, and I wish him all the best.”