If Hugh Jackman ever decides to step away from his role in "The Music Man," he already has a great successor in mind.
The actor, who stars as Professor Harold Hill in the Broadway show, sat down with TODAY's Hoda Kotb on Monday to discuss his role and addressed rumors that he might be grooming Justin Timberlake to take over for him one day.
“I’ll open for Justin Timberlake any day. That’d be awesome. JT, c’mon, I’m happy,” he joked.
Jackman, 53, then suggested that if Timberlake were to take over for him, he'd be happy to fill in once in a while when the singer is on tour.
"I'll just step in, JT, don't worry. If you’re (touring) stadiums, don't worry, I'm there. Actually could you take me with you on the stadium (tour)? That'd be great," he said.
All joking aside, Jackman didn't rule out the possibility of the former 'N SYNC singer starring in "The Music Man" one day.
"We’ll see. Actually he’d be great in the part, he’s a great actor JT," he acknowledged.
"But you plan on being there for a little bit longer?" Hoda asked.
"Just 20 years," the actor quipped. "But you know, Justin will only be like 13 at that time. He's seemingly very young."
"The Music Man" holds a special place in Jackman's heart, especially since it was the first musical he ever acted in when he was 14. And he has a feeling that his late father is watching him on the stage from heaven with a smile on his face.
“My dad was the sweetest man and he would love this show. And the fact that he saw me do the show when I was 14, I could just see him crying his eyes out with joy,” he said.
Jackman had a close bond with his father, and he told Hoda that he always thinks about him when he's onstage and even has a photo of him in his dressing room. The actor also feels proud that his dad would've adored watching him on Broadway.
"The poor guy, he had to put up with so many movies that really are not his bag over the years. He would only ever say wonderful things but he would've absolutely loved it," he said. "I feel his presence all the time."