Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster: Picture shows rumoured love story ‘almost 20 years’ in the making

Hugh Jackman never shied away from showing his admiration for his Broadway co-star — and rumoured new flame — Sutton Foster when they were on the promotional trail for The Music Man.

Indeed, the pair gushed over one another in interviews for almost two years until the musical’s run ended in 2023.

They waxed lyrical about the show and each other on late-night talk shows, red carpet stops, magazines, newspapers and in social media posts; Jackman even took time on-stage to orchestrate a birthday singalong for his leading lady.

Now, a photo has emerged revealing what might be the moment the mutual adoration between the pair began.

In July 2021, Foster shared an image of her and Jackman “backstage at Thoroughly Modern Millie almost 20 years ago”.

Foster was catapulted from understudy to the starring role as the titular Millie Dillmount in the 2002 Broadway production, which earned her a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical.

At the same time, Jackman was the breakout star of the first X-Men movie (premiering in 2000), in which he originated the role of Wolverine (aka Logan Howlett).

In the photo, Foster is still in her sparkling red costume, while Jackman looks every part the chuffed (off-duty mutant) fan.

Foster captioned the photo after the characters they were best known for at the time, and the stars they would come to co-star as: “Millie and Wolverine. Harold and Marian.”

The pair later reunited on-stage in 2022 in the lead roles of The Music Man: as con man Professor Harold Hill and music teacher, and love interest, Marion Paroo.

During an appearance on Late Night with Seth Myers in 2022, Jackman confessed that he had been a fan of his future leading lady since he saw her in Thoroughly Modern Millie decades ago.

He said he had seen “everything” she had ever appeared in and was “intimidated” to work with her.

“This is a six-time Tony nominee, two-time winner,” he said.

“I saw her do Thoroughly Modern Millie when you were like four years old. I’ve watched everything she’s done. It’s amazing.

“And I’m the guy who, in my first show, Beauty and the Beast, it was in my contract that I had to have singing lessons once a week.”

Of course, for whatever shaky start he had, Jackman would go on to prove himself a talented showman starring in stage and movie musicals throughout his career. In fact, in 2004 Jackman won a Tony and Drama Desk Award for his Broadway portrayal of Peter Allen in The Boy From Oz.

In another clip from the late night interview, Jackman described Foster as “the best in the world at what she does”.

In recent weeks, the rumour mill was sent into overdrive over claims the pair were “in love” but keeping their romance under wraps.

Adding fuel to the fire, Foster filed for divorce from her husband of 10 years, screenwriter (Ocean’s Eleven) Ted Griffin in October. It came just over a year after Jackman and wife of 27 years, actor and producer Deborra-Lee Furness, announced their separation.

While the reports of Jackman and Foster’s supposed relationship — which neither party has publicly commented on — may have come as a surprise to celeb watchers, their romance was allegedly an “open secret on Broadway” .

“They are 100 per cent together and are in love and want to spend the rest of their lives together,” another source told the publication.

“They go out of their way to hide it, but it’s common knowledge.”

Jackman and Foster were first linked in December 2023, when In Touch magazine reported the Australian was “romancing” the dual Tony Award winner.