Hugh Jackman just made English football's celebrity ownership race a lot more interesting. The actor confirmed he's "very, very interested" and actively in talks to buy a stake in Norwich City — and he's not hiding that Ryan Reynolds' success at Wrexham has something to do with it.
"Good on Ryan, you do your thing, I'm all about the Canaries," Jackman told talkSPORT, calling it a "little exclusive." That's about as on-the-record as it gets.
A lifelong fan with a very specific reason
His connection to Norwich is genuine, not manufactured for a documentary series. Growing up in Australia, Jackman's mother was originally from Norwich, and when a young Hugh asked his dad which team to support, the answer pointed him straight to Carrow Road. "I went, 'Is there a football team in Norwich?' She went, 'Yep'. I said, 'That's my team'."
He's since been to Carrow Road. He knows about the 1984 Milk Cup. This isn't a man who needed someone to brief him on the club's history before the cameras rolled.
What makes this particularly sharp is that Jackman turned down an invitation to become a minority investor back in 2010 — a decision he openly called a "big mistake" once Norwich started climbing. He doesn't want to miss twice.
What this means for Norwich's season
Norwich currently sit in the Championship, where promotion to the Premier League is the only prize that matters. Jackman's own prediction: "This is the year we're going to get promoted." He's also calling a Wrexham promotion in the same breath, which is either generosity toward Reynolds or tactical misdirection.
American businessman Mark Attanasio holds an 85 per cent stake in the club. Delia Smith and Michael Wynn-Jones retain 10 per cent. The remaining 5 per cent is split among individual investors and fans — so where exactly Jackman fits into that structure will be the key detail to watch when any deal is confirmed.
Celebrity investment doesn't win football matches. But profile, commercial pull, and genuine passion for a club aren't nothing either. Norwich's promotion odds just got a footnote worth paying attention to.
