Like many others across social media on Father’s Day, actor Hugh Jackman expressed his gratitude for his father with an emotional Instagram post.
Jackman has previously opened up about his close relationship with his dad and the moment his mother walked out on the family when he was just 8 years old. According to WHO magazine, Jackman’s father raised him and his four siblings alone.
“I remember her being in a towel around her head and saying goodbye, must have been the way she said goodbye as I went off to school,” Jackman said in an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes. “When I came back, there was no one there in the house. The next day there was a telegram from England, mum was there. And then that was it.”
In his post, he thanked his father, a devout Christian, for teaching him to always “find purpose beyond oneself.”
He wrote, “Happy Father’s Day to the man who taught me to show respect for others, for education, for being led by your passions. Who taught me to never stop growing and learning. To work hard and realize that preparation is the bedrock for success. And, above all, to find purpose beyond oneself. I love you Dad.”
Jackman opened up about his faith in an interview with Jesus Daily in 2015 saying he grew up religious and considers himself a Christian and dedicates his performances to God.
Jackman says he used to attend different evangelists’ revival meetings when he was younger and that acting gives him a sense of peace.
He said, “This is going to sound weird to you. In Chariots of Fire the runner Eric Liddell says, ‘When I run, I feel His pleasure.’ And I feel that pleasure when I act.”