He’s one of Australia’s most talented actors, who’s made a name for himself in the cut-throat world of Hollywood.
But there’s one famous show that isn’t part of Hugh Jackman’s CV – though it very nearly could have been.
In an interview with TV WEEK on Thursday, the 49-year-old revealed that in the early days of his career he turned down a gig on Neighbours.
‘I was offered a job on Neighbours!’ Hugh Jackman admitted to TV WEEK on Thursday that he once turned down a gig on the iconic Australian soap so he could continue his studies
‘I was offered a job on Neighbours which was a very successful soap opera in Australia at the time the same weekend that I was offered a place at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts which was a prestigious drama school,’ he told the publication.
Faced with a figurative fork in the road, the X Men actor admitted he struggled to choose between the two options.
‘So I had the choice of do I go and work as a working actor on a two-year contract or do I go and study. I was 24 [years old] so I wasn’t young in acting terms and I really didn’t know what to do,’ Hugh recalled.
‘I really didn’t know what to do’: The decision was a tough one for Hugh, who was only 24
What could have been! The X Men star admitted he could have been part of thesoap’s cast
Ultimately, Hugh said he sacrificed a paying gig on the popular show to further his acting studies.
‘I thought two years on a soap opera is not going to make me confident to go to the Royal Shakespeare Company in London and audition so instead I went to study,’ he explained.
Fortunately, rejecting the iconic soap hasn’t seemed to hinder his career and he has gone from strength to strength in the years since.
If only! Some other famous faces including Kylie Minogue (left), Jason Donovan (centre) and Russell Crowe (right) appeared on Neighbours at the beginning of their careers
Hugh wouldn’t have been the first big name Australian celebrity to get their start on the Melbourne-based soap, however.
Russell Crowe once filmed a guest stint on the show while Margot Robbie’s breakout role was playing Donna Freedman from 2008 to 2011.
Perhaps one of the most famous Ramsay Street alum was Kylie Minogue, who shone in her role as Charlene Robinson.
From Ramsay St to Hollywood! A-list actress Margot Robbie (centre) also shot to fame on Neighbours at the start of her career