Apologies for the delays in updates. Between my birthday and a trip to New York, things have been a little hectic. But without further ado: on May 9th, Hugh Jackman and wife Deborra-Lee Furness attended the 2013 Joyful Heart Foundation Gala. The event was to raise awareness for sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse. The Joyful Heart Foundation was founded by Hugh and Deb’s friend, Mariska Hargitay (of “Law & Order: SVU”), after she received numerous letters from fans talking about issues her show tackled. A few photos from the evening have been added to the gallery.

In a recently released video, Hugh Jackman encourages fans to stop by their local comic book shops on May 4th. The reason? It’s the Free Comic Book Day, held annually on the first Saturday of May. Participating comic stores will offer free goodies from publishing groups such as Marvel and DC. For more information on the event, check out their website. May the Fourth be with you!

Hugh Jackman will once again team up with MPTF (Motion Picture & Television Fund) later this year. As part of a charity auction to raise money for FIAT’s “Into the Green” Program, he’ll lead an event entitled Hugh Jackman & Friends, where he’ll presumably sing and dance. According to a press release, the concert/auction will happen on Hugh’s birthday, October 12th. There are some details below, undoubtedly with more to come as October approaches:

MPTF is proud to announce the continuation of its partnership with the FIAT brand following the success of this year’s “Night Before” event by inviting celebrities to drive and experience the all-new, all-electric 2013 Fiat 500e as part of the new FIAT “Into the Green” Program, culminating at an auction of the celebrity-driven Fiat 500e vehicles on October 12th at the Hugh Jackman & Friends Live event to benefit MPTF, with a goal of raising $500,000 for the organization.

Deborra-Lee Furness is more than the actress wife of Hugh Jackman — she’s a philanthropic woman deeply invested in adoption rights and children’s well-being. Recently, she’s been promoting National Adoption Awareness Week to get the word out on such a disenfranchised act in Australia: adoption. You can check out a few interviews with her at Herald Sun, The Age, and Hope 103.2 (audio).

On November 12th, she and husband Hugh Jackman attended a special screening for The Life of Timothy Green to help kick off Adoption Awareness Week. She talks a little about this particular film of wanting a child in the above audio interview, for those interested. Pictures from the night have been added to the gallery.

Having once attended the Actors Centre Australia (ACA) – which he graduated from in 1993 – Hugh Jackman was back at the school on November 4th to help launch The Acting Edge, a new online component. The program’s creator, Dean Carey, also recently released an acting book, and the ACA also now offers apps helpful for those seeking acting advice. You can watch a brief interview with Hugh on the red carpet right here, in which he talks about The Acting Edge and how ACA changed his life. There’s also a Mornings interview, where he discusses acting, his kids, and… his flaws.

On a semi-related topic, Hugh and wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, attended the Melbourne World Vision Event on November 3rd. There doesn’t seem to be any official images or video footage from the night (nor press on it, for that matter), so consider this a brief update on their whereabouts and philanthropic adventures. You can also check out a dual interview with both of them below, in which they talk about humanitarian work, passing on their knowledge to their children, and even how their New York apartment fared in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

The New 42nd Street Gala, in celebration of the New Victory Education Programs, will honor the Australia Council for the Arts with the New Victory Arts Award on Wednesday, December 5, 2012. The annual event will feature a special performance by the Melbourne-based Australian troupe Circus Oz at The New Victory Theater, followed by a dinner reception at The Liberty Theater.

The event will be co-chaired by Adelina Wong Ettelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Fiona Howe Rudin, Chairman of The New 42nd Street. Honorary Chairs for the event are Deborra-Lee Furness and Hugh Jackman. Gala Vice Chairs are Julie Singer Scanlan and Philip H. Scanlan, Consul General of Australia in New York. The Gala Committee includes Jill Bikoff, Emily and Len Blavatnik, Donya and Scott Bommer, Isaac Mizrahi and Arnold Germer, and Wendi Murdoch. Thomson Reuters is the Gala Corporate Sponsor for the third consecutive year.

The New Victory Arts Award is presented to a person or organization that has used their public position and powers of persuasion to help bring kids to the arts and the arts to kids. Past recipients include Tony Awards® recipient Bill Irwin and Cheryl Henson, President of The Jim Henson Foundation.

“The New 42nd Street is honored that the Australia Council for the Arts has agreed to accept this year’s New Victory Arts Award in recognition of its longstanding support of enlightened work for kids. Since The New Victory Theater opened in 1995, we have presented 22 compelling, inventive and magical works from 16 companies hailing from across Australia,” said Cora Cahan, President of The New 42nd Street.

The New 42nd Street Gala will begin at 7:00 PM with the award presentation and an excerpt of Circus Oz: From the Ground Up at The New Victory Theater (209 West 42nd Street), immediately followed by a dinner reception at The Liberty Theater (234 West 42nd Street).

Tickets to the New 42nd Street Gala start at $1,000 and table prices start at $10,000. For more information and tickets, visit www.new42gala.org or call 646-553-3475.

SOURCE

It’s a bit hard to chuck a sickie if you’re Wolverine. So Hugh Jackman has discovered after realising his film shooting schedule means he will miss the party for his passion project, the launch of Russell James’s book Nomad Two Worlds, tomorrow night at the Darling Hotel in Sydney.

“I’m devastated,” Jackman sighed. “Nomads is one project I really believe in and we’ve been talking about the book launch for 12 months. But you know, we’ve all got a boss. They knew what it meant to me but the train’s rolling, unfortunately.”

The book features James’s photos and collaborations with indigenous Australian, Native American and Haitian artists. A percentage of the proceeds of the book will go to art projects in indigenous communities.

“Nomads is about reconciliation and bringing cultures together in a social business sense,” Jackman told The Sun-Herald’s Shelly Horton. “This is the apology in action.”

James has just flown in from Haiti where the book was launched by Bill Clinton and Richard Branson. “We try to celebrate the art of the indigenous artists and not have it be a celebrity-driven brand, but while everyone has been enormously respectful of that, we have had some amazing celebrities help out,” he said.

For Jackman it’s a chance to use his celebrity for good. “I do try not to use my celebrity for evil,” he joked, “I mean it’s a daily struggle because the pull of evil is so strong but if I can ever use it for good, I do.”

SOURCE

On Saturday, October 20th, Hugh Jackman and wife (Deborra-Lee Furness) attended the 20th annual Red Ball. Taking place yearly in Melbourne, Australia, the gala is presented by Fight Cancer Foundation as a way to raise money for cancer treatment, research, care, and support programs. Hugh was there as a special guest, performing numbers from his Back on Broadway stint. Not sure of a song list (yet), but you can check out pictures of him and Deb on the red carpet in the gallery.

Check out a new video of Hugh Jackman taking part in the ongoing project, R U OK?. On September 13th, people are encouraged to ask their friends, families, and colleagues one simple question: “are you okay?” It’s part of the now-annual R U OK?Day, in which people reach out to better their community members by assuring them that their lives are important and cared about. It’s a really great campaign that Hugh has been involved with in the past, so it’s great to see him coming back for yet another video (this time, with his signature Wolverine muttonchops).

Here’s a hilarious new video featuring Hugh Jackman, courtesy of College Humor. In it, “Mr. Jackman auditions for his toughest role yet: not auditioning.” The location of this skit is as Harlem Village Academies, a charter school that wants their students “to become intellectually sophisticated, wholesome in character, avid readers, independent thinkers, and compassionate individuals who make a meaningful contribution to society.” The video itself shows Hugh taking a comedic route, parodying himself and the expectations of big-headed Hollywood stars. Very funny!