VIDEO Hugh Jackman tears up while discussing his father on 60 Minutes

Hugh Jackman sat down for an intimate one-on-one interview with Scott Pelley of 60 Minutes that aired last night. During the broadcast the 44-year-old Australian actor was overcome with emotion while discussing his father and how his mom had left the family when he was 8-years-old.

Here is how Jackman described his memories of his mom leaving to Pelley:

“I can remember the morning she left, it’s weird the things you pick up. I remember her being in a towel around her head and saying goodbye, must have been the way she said goodbye. As I went off to school, when I came back, there was no one there in the house.

Hugh Jackman as a baby with his mother and father.

The next day there was a telegram from England, Mom was there. And then that was it. I don’t think she thought for a second it would be forever. I think she thought it was, ‘I just need to get away, and I’ll come back.’ Dad used to pray every night that Mom would come back.”

Jackman was promoting the film Les Miserables, a sure-fire Oscar contender. Hugh is the youngest of five boys that were raised by their father in Sydney after their mom left. Hugh went on to highlight the role that his father played and still plays in his life:

“My father is a rock. My father is my rock. It’s where I learned everything about loyalty, dependability, being there day in, day out, no matter what…. It’s always about the family. It’s always, ‘How’s Deb?’ It’s not about work. And I think that’s him living with probably some of his regrets. And feelings of maybe he at the wrong time put too much in his career. And he doesn’t want me to make me that mistake. In his gentle way, he always reminds me this the most important thing.”

Jackman is married to Deborah Lee-Furness and the couple have two adopted children, Oscar Maximillian and Ava Eliot.