Hugh Jackman's 'frightening' family

Jan 2, 2009, 9:25 GMT

Hugh Jackman. The 40-year-old actor - who has two adopted kids, eight-year-old Oscar and three-year-old Ava, with wife Deborra-Lee Furness - was terrified about starting a family, but quickly realised the love you have for your children is more powerful than anything. EPA/JENS KALAENE

Hugh Jackman is frightened by how much he loves his children.

The 40-year-old actor - who has two adopted kids, eight-year-old Oscar and three-year-old Ava, with wife Deborra-Lee Furness - was terrified about starting a family, but quickly realised the love you have for your children is more powerful than anything.

He said: "Having kids is not so much a risk as a surrender, kind of like, 'OK, I'm jumping into the rapids.' "

Hugh - who can currently be seen starring alongside Nicole Kidman in new movie 'Australia' - also revealed he sometimes finds it hard to leave his children when he starts shooting a film.

He said: "It's frightening how in love with them you are. It's hard to go away, hard to do things like this. You have those little flashes of them jumping into a road and you stop breathing."

Hugh's family has always kept him grounded - even when he was crowned People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive.

He told Men's Journal magazine: "Everything is exposed with kids. There's no artifice, because they see you for exactly what you are. You can't pretend.

"Actors can fool people about the kind of person they are. You can wear whatever mask you want to put on. But it doesn't work with kids, you know? You see things get out of whack, out of balance, because they just mirror it back to you."