Hugh tells Deb 'THE KIDS DESERVE THE TRUTH!

A painful past rocked the actor's upbringing but he's not letting it get in the way of his future

Hugh Jackman has always known the day would come when he'd have to explain his complicated history to his kids.

After all, throughout his brilliant career, much has been made about the fact that his mother abandoned him as a child - which he later understood was because she suffered a mental-health crisis at the time and his dad recently died after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. "Hugh has seen the best and worst of the human condition, and for a long time, he wanted to shield his kids from that," says a source.

Now, in an emotional revelation, the 54-year-old has confirmed his adopted children Oscar, 22, and Ava, 17, are learning the truth - even if their mum Deborra-Lee Furness has her own reservations about it, according to an insider.

Speaking to the media ahead of the premiere of his new movie The Son, Hugh says he felt compelled to prepare Oscar and Ava for the film's plot, which tells the story of a complicated family that tries to piece itself back together after falling apart - a story eerily similar to Hugh's own.

"It was very important that I talk to them about what it was about, what it meant to me, and why I was doing it," he says.