As was mentioned when we discussed Nicole Kidman repping for Neutrogena, Hugh Jackman often speaks about how Nicole is a good role model for protecting yourself against the sun. Not only did he offer his support of her Neutrogena launch but he used her as an example when he spoke about his skin cancer in 2015 (FYI – shirtless shots of Hugh in that link, folks. *rowr*). Hugh first announced he was battling skin cancer in 2013 when he divulged that his wife, Deb Furness, told him to have a spot on his nose checked that turned out to be a basel cell carcinoma. He had it removed and has since has diligently documented his follow up checks and removals, bandages and all, to promote proper sun protection. Hugh’s point is that we should learn from him because he did everything wrong but is able to manage his skin cancer with regular checks.
This marks his sixth surgery in four years. As I also said in that Nicole post, I was raised with minimal attention to sun protection because my parents weren’t cautioned about it during their childhoods. And my mother is paying the price. I mean, like Hugh-level price. She has had several of these removals done, one so deep it almost reached the bone. Every time I see her, another piece of her is missing. She moved back to Coronado (the scene of the crime) about two years ago and is not allowed to go on the beach in anything less than a full length skirt or pants. I don’t kid myself that I am immune. I get checked constantly and will not be surprised when they find a basel cell carcinoma. All jokes aside, protect your children, protect yourself – sunscreen and check-ups people! As Hugh and CB insinuated, tans are so 1990, anyway.
Hugh is, of course, also gearing up for the opening of Logan on March 3rd. He claims that will be the final Wolverine movie although we’ve heard that before, n’est pas? But he says no, for reals this time, after 17 years he’s hanging up the claws. Hugh is currently filming The Greatest Showman, in which he plays Barnum and Bailey Circus founder PT Barnum. I didn’t know about this movie but Holy Hannibal – that’s positively inspired casting! If you have ever seen Hugh on stage, he was born to play this role. Plus, he can handle the darker side of Barnum as well *crosses fingers*
As I mentioned, Hugh is a strong voice for skin cancer awareness and prevention. You should check out both his Twitter and Instagram, on which he discusses his advocacy often. PS – “I am checking out Jackman’s cancer advocacy” is a marvelous excuse to give your SO when they catch you staring at Hugh’s social media… again. Mercy! This man can still make my teeth sweat.
Proud to support Columbia's Cancer Research Programs at the Nearness of You concert. @ColumbiaMed pic.twitter.com/2vSguQcDMk
— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) February 1, 2017
See? I’m just supporting cancer research by staring at that^^.
This fan is all of us
He’s my pretend hubby. (Don’t tell my actually dude.) Cancer is a bitch. Rooting for you, HJ!
His wife has such an amazing bone structure.
I am a brunette, olive skin, spent my youth in the sun (with sunscreen) and I always found it amusing to see how fair skinned people had to hide from the sun.
Last year I went to Cornwall (UK for Christ sakes, not the south of Portugal) and I got a major sunburn. The sun is hitting harder, is even more dangerous and everyone should be extra careful.
Me too! Went to Cornwall last summer and got a major sunburn on my face. I am italian so I’m used to being in the sun.. but hey I wasn’t prepared for that to happen!
You 2 must have come when we had that 3 week summer spell 🙂
Ahah yes! My bf is english and he couldn’t believe our luck when we had 2 weeks of holiday with no rain! If i’m honest it rarely rains when i’m there.. i’m very lucky!
@AG-UK Yup! Even locals were a bit surprised and the water was actually, dare I say, warm, for a couple of days. It was surreal.
@paolanqar Yes… We kept saying that we had lost our southerner’s membership cards. My skin hurt so much I could not sleep. And on the first day people would turn their heads to look at the side of my leg and my arm. That’s how red I was…
Exactly. I went to Cornwall in spring and I got snow lol
@paolanqar
I am Italian too and I was able to get a horrible sunburnt twice… in Scotland, years ago!
SilverUnicorn
I keep forgetting you are italian!
I am fair skinned, I am blonde with green eyes but I tan very easily and I very rarely burn but daaaamn in Cornwall a combination of sun and wind (and no sunscreen, I admit it.. I thought I could do without,.. it was Cornwall!!!!!!) made me look like a freakin lobster for a few days!
olive skinned brunette, only burned once, never wore sunscreen. however i lived for the sun and tanned in beds in my teens through my twenties.
in 90 minutes I go in to get sutures removed and hear the results of my 3 biopsies.
wear sunscreen. you can over-prepare, but you can’t go back when you realize you may have been careless, or even reckless.
Good vibes your way @Wiffie!
I’ve had two basal cell growths removed so far – one from my forearm, where I now have a huge, badass scar. Basal cell is the ‘good’ skin cancer to have (easiest to treat) but still nothing to mess with – good for Hugh for speaking up.
I’ve had two displastic moles removed. One under my eye, and one on my arm. I’m of Portuguese decent and always wore sunscreen as a kid, but rarely would do the good ol reapply. Keep an eye on moles that change and new spots people!
I still remember a lifeguard on Bondi Beach coming to me with sunscreen in his hand saying I was very pale and to wear some. I did of course never left my hotel without 50+ sunscreen in Australia and I was horrified at how hot the sun was down there.
Once on the beach in Lake Tekapo (New Zealand) I remember feeling my shoulders on fire. I kept wearing layers of sunscreen until my friends told me I was literally covered in white cream! Lol
But it was like having flames on the skin!
Yes, wear sunscreen. The sun is really crazy down there.
Do you know if its worse than FL? It gets brutal here in July and August
Never been to Florida sorry.. but I thought sun in NZ was stronger than in Hawaii, Venezuela, Mexico and Italy.
The weird thing is that it didn’t take much time to feel ‘flames on skin’ but it was as soon as you stood in the sun. 1 second in and you feel like you’re burning alive.
It’s worse than Florida, snowflake. My skin got burnt a lot in NZ, evrn with spf +30; I never had a sunburn in Florida, even in the Keys and with less sunscreen protection.
Yeah we have major ozone layer issues in Australia and New Zealand – the sun absolutely scorches. I spent summer 2015 in parts of Texas and it felt hot but you could be in the sun and not feel like your skin was in the microwave.
That’s Australian life! Previous generations didn’t have the understanding we do about sun safety – my dad is 66 and he has had a number of small skin cancers removed. He would go out at the beginning of the school holidays and go bright beetroot red week 1 and then peel, then tan and spend the rest of the summer outside happily. Yikes!
My pasty white skin stays indoors 🙂
Also Hecate – it’s “n’est-ce pas” 🙂
I’m glad he’s so vocal about it, and does his best to spread the word and educate. Very important. Often forgotten cancer. I was a sun-worshipper for years and I try to be diligent about checking in with my derm, always fearful something will creep in as I get older. I watched my Grandfather go through it with his face…should’ve learned, but I was young and dumb and didn’t believe in consequences. Best of luck to HJ!
I love this multi-talented man. He seems genuinely good inside and out. Hopefully all will be well. He is trying to inform and that is so important to the sun seekers and avid tanners of this world.
Same here. He and his wife seem like genuinely good people. And I’m all in for more pictures of him, especially with his dogs.
I can’t agree enough with his message. Last month I was at the funeral of a school friend (age 40) who’d had a melanoma a few years back and got secondary cancer very fast last year.
I am very fair skinned and my husband wants me to use the tanning bed cause its only 20 bucks a month extra, instead of spay tans. But i don’t wanna! Wah! Lol. I can do whatever i want, just saying
Oh my goodness – do not use tanning beds. I’m as pale as you can be (and live in Australia), I avoid the sun like the plague. Tanning beds are so much worse! However, being able to have spray tans makes me feel so much better! I love them. Also, tanning beds have now been banned where I live due to the cancer risks. It’s illegal to operate a tanning salon. Spray Tan business has gone through the roof!
The UV in Australia is ridiculous. Hugh’s situation is so common. It’s really sad. The ‘bronzed’ Aussie was (and probably still is), the pinnacle of beauty!
I wish him all the best!
Snowflake – don’t cave! Do not use a tanning bed. EVER!
“This fan” in that pic is Iris Berben, a very well-known (in Germany) actress. I love her. And yes, she is me in that pic.
This topic distracts me so much (skin cancer case in my immediate family) that I posted on that Nicole Kidman thread just now. Ugh. YES to sunscreen. I wear it year-round but in the summer, I avoid the sun like the plague. Best anti-aging method ever.
I am part of a running group and I posted on the page last year about wearing sunscreen while out running. I’m a POC and often we don’t think we need sunscreen, so I applaud Hugh for being so open about the importance of sunscreen.
I had a very nice boss die from complications of skin cancer in the late ’90’s. Over a two year period, we watched as surgery after surgery mutilated his once handsome face and body. (Never his spirit. He fought ’til the end.) He was not a hardcore sun worshipper but he ran our high altitude backcountry ski lodge (always covered up I might add.) Even in winter (esp. in snow) you have to protect your self. It was a brutal battle/disease and unfortunately, he did not win. Be careful and diligent about sun protection. Many sunscreen manufacturers have been proven to be less than honest about their products.
On a side not- Hugh Jackman and his devotion to his wife…swoon.
I really hope he’s ok after all of this. I lost my grandmother to breast cancer and seeing someone deteriorate so fast before your eyes is a pain I wish on no one.
I personally wear sunscreen very rarely, being raised in the heat of the Caribbean especially during summer, I got used to it, my skin would tan but I would never get sunburn. My mom on the other hand is another story, she gets sunburn like crazy no matter how much sunscreen she used .
Years ago, I worked with patients in an ophthalmic office. My boss did plastic surgery concerning the eyes and face.
A patient came in one day, an elderly Southern gentleman. Sweet as sugar. My boss took me aside and whispered.
“This is a new patient here. I’ve worked with him before, but you haven’t. Do not flinch when you see him.”
“What?”
“I’m telling you not to flinch.”
Okay, I can do that. The patient came into the exam room wearing an immaculate suit and tie, a fedora and sunglasses with a plastic nose guard attached close to his face.
I sat him down, preparing to test his vision, when I looked at his chart. This man was virtually blind, so what gives? Then he took off the hat and the glasses/nose guard. Where I then saw that…he had no nose on his face. I was looking at his sinus cavities. No nose. Gone.
I checked his file more closely. He had spent years tangling with skin cancer. It had started with a basal cell carcinoma, but it wasn’t attended to and it ended up costing him horribly.
Yes, people are disfigured grossly and sometimes end up dying from this. And it’s almost 100% preventable.
Please protect yourselves! It’s cheap and easy.
Melanoma survivor and Wolverine fan here. I grew up in the 70s when sunscreen didn’t exist, and got some really horrible sunburns as a child – I’m very fair with red hair/freckles. I can remember having a couple of sunburns that sent me to the emergency room as a pre-schooler. I’m extremely protective of my girls – they are now 17 and 21 and neither of them have ever had a sunburn in their lives! Hopefully they will be spared what I went through.
Love that Hugh is out there talking about this – most people think that it won’t happen to them. Don’t ever go to a tanning bed! They’re so bad for you. The World Health Organization released a warning last year stating that tanning beds are just as bad for you as smoking. There is no such thing as a “safe tan” – except for a spray tan or fake tanning lotion! If it’s UV sun rays, you’re putting yourself at risk.
I’m kind of glad this story came out when it did – it reminded me that it’s time to schedule my annual mole check with my dermatologist. I used to spend so much time in the sun as a kid, and wearing sunscreen was not as big an issue as it is now. It’s a miracle my face doesn’t look like leather too.
*runs off to make a call*
Hi guys!!! I just wanted to say I was able to get my myomectomy this morning! I kept fighting for anything, and you all supported me! Thank you very much from bottom of my heart! My surgeon and PCP fougt my insurance to get this done.
You have all given me advice, thoughts, support, remedies, anything to help so I would not need a hysterectomy. I am truly appreciative. Thank you CBers’!!!!! :)))).
Now to the gossip… I wear sunscreen faithfully year round. I still get pink. I do need my vitamin D. So I will go outside for 20min-1/2 hour for straight sun. I’m 39, yet I look younger than 1 sister who is 6 years younger.
Maybe the key is to laugh,and enjoy what you have? I don’t know…
And its not always 50-50 in any relationship. Sometimes we need/have to give more, other times, we need more. It’s a see saw….
(Advice from my Grammy….my family is placing her on hospice when she goes back to assisted living). :(((( but she always said “sunscreen, sunscreen sunscreen!”
And my dad and step mom believe in it also. Southern California rays vs Boston rays…..
Thanks again cb! Truly thankful I found this website! Have a great evening and test of week!!!
:)))))