Hugh Jackman’s Hunt for a New Wife: He Wants Someone Who’ll ‘Make the World a Better Place’

Hugh Jackman wants to get married again following his separation from estranged wife Deborra-Lee Furness, a source exclusively tells Closer, adding that the Tony Award-winning actor is looking for something much different this time around.

In fact, the source reveals Hugh, 55, is dreaming of an Amal Clooney type to help him change the world and branch out from the glitz and glam of Hollywood.

“The No. 1 problem Hugh and Deb had during their decades together is that Hugh’s career and his ambitions always became the center of their life together, even when they were doing everything in their power to keep that from being the case,” details a longtime Hollywood pal.

Their life in the spotlight “just became unavoidable,” the source adds, “because of the success Hugh kept having and the incredible effort and work ethic he would bring into anything he took on.”

The Music Man star and the Australian actress and producer, 68, first met on the set of the Australian TV show Correlli in 1995, years before Hugh became an international movie star.

They married after less than a year of dating on April 11, 1996, and adopted two children together: son Oscar, born in 2000, and daughter Ava, born in 2005. However, after nearly 27 years of marriage, they announced in September 2023 that they were ending their relationship.

“Our journey now is shifting, and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth,” they said in a joint statement at the time. “Our family has been and always will be our highest priority. We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness. We greatly appreciate your understanding in respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition in all of our lives.”

Now, Closer‘s source reveals Hugh is looking to shake things up and settle down with someone who is more along the lines of George Clooney‘s wife, who made a name for herself as a lawyer and human rights activist.

“He needs an Amal Clooney type, and he knows it: somebody who doesn’t eat, drink and breathe showbusiness 24/7 and who actually thinks about the bigger picture the way Hugh does,” the source reveals.

“Hugh personally is not a careerist,” the insider adds of the stage star, who is often raising money for various charities like Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. “He’d be fine if all the stardom went away tomorrow, and he really wants to find somebody who can help him make the world a better place and put the good will he’s earned after 25 years in Hollywood to work for something more than his personal stardom.”

While Hugh has been busy over the last few months preparing for the release of his next Marvel film Deadpool & Wolverine — scheduled to be released in the United States on July 26 — the source reveals “the hunt is finally on for somebody new.”

Adds the insider, “Hugh is committed to branching outside of his entertainment industry bubble to find somebody he can spend the rest of his life with and who can help him put his massive fortune to good use around the world.”