Forget the leather-clad mutant with adamantium claws — long before Hugh Jackman took on the role of Wolverine in the "X-Men" film franchise, or any other blockbuster role, the actor really wanted to be a talk show legend like Regis Philbin.
That's what Jackman's wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, recently confessed to TODAY's Tamron Hall.
But when Furness and Jackman met with Hall in New York just after lighting the Empire State Building in green and gold to celebrate Australia Day, Furness admitted, "What he does now worked out fine."
Indeed. And what Jackman does now is stay busy. He recently wrapped production on "X-Men: Days of Future Past," which will see him take on the role of Wolverine for a seventh time, and he's currently filming a sci-fi movie with Sigourney Weaver called "Chappie." After that, he'll get to work as Capt. Blackbeard in "Pan," a new spin on Peter Pan, and then he's off to Broadway for a production of "The River." Whew!
It's the last project in that busy run that he and his wife look forward to the most.
"Very excited to back to Broadway and do a play," Jackman said. "That'll be sometime next season. My wife's excited that it's an 80-minute, no interval play, so I'll be home early, which means I'll have no excuse not getting up in the morning for the kids."
And with all that free time, maybe he'll find a moment to fulfill a promise he made during his last visit to TODAY — to guest host on the show.
"I'll do it one day," he vowed.
We look forward to it!