Australian actor Hugh Jackman has revealed the close bond he shares with his Deadpool co-star Ryan Reynolds' mum - after his own mother abandoned him as a child.
On Wednesday, the 56-year-old actor posted a tribute to Tammy - who is the mother of his close friend and co-star Ryan - on Instagram.
Hugh shared a carousel of photos of himself alongside the birthday girl and Ryan, 48, after recently admitting that he's in therapy to address the trauma of his own mother abandoning him when he was just eight years old.
'Happy Birthday to the one and only, Tam Tam!' Jackman began his caption, using the rest of his message to tease his friend by mentioning Ryan's three older brothers' names.
'Patrick, Terry, Jeff and I love you so much. And of course, your emergency, stand-in son, Ray. Rolf…? Ryan?' the Greatest Showman actor quipped.
Continuing the duo's long-held commitment to mocking one another, Ryan commented: 'Blasphemer!' before taking to his own Instagram Stories with a proper rebuttal.
Australian actor Hugh Jackman has revealed the close bond he shares with his Deadpool co-star Ryan Reynolds' mum, as he wished Tammy Reynolds a very happy birthday
'Happy Birthday to the one and only, Tam Tam!' Jackman began his caption, using the rest to tease his friend by leading with Ryan's three older brothers' names first
Re-sharing Jackman's post, Reynolds wrote: 'I am NOT her emergency stand-in son. My official job description is "emergency harvestable organs." In case she goes down with appendicitis or her tonsils are no long viable. I'll be there.'
Ryan also posted his own tribute to his mum as she celebrated her milestone birthday on Wednesday, writing, 'Tam Tam is 80!!! Wishing my mom the happiest birthday.'
The Free Guy actor shared a video montage of funny moments between them, adding: 'I still remember the first time I saw her. I was sitting in the backyard one night, holding a flashlight and dozing off. Suddenly, she just came waddling out of the shed. It scared the s**t out of me'
'Later, I rode my bike, racing away from our dry desert home and into a deciduous rain forest which somehow coexists just a few blocks away,' Ryan continued.
'Eventually Mom was all like, "f--- it," and we straight up, flew into the air while she whispered, "Elliot" every few seconds in a low groan that was both off-putting and quite off-putting.'
Continuing with the plot of 1982's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, he wrote: 'Later she waddled back into her spacecraft and left earth forever, even though I saw her like four times today alone.'
'Happy Birthday mom. You are the best mom,' Ryan concluded on a sweeter note.
'We love you. Your grandbabies love you. Most importantly, @thehughjackman loves you.'
Hugh Jackman included one photo of Ryan, 48, who posted his own Instagram tribute to his mum writing: 'Tam Tam is 80!!! Wishing my mom the happiest birthday.'
Hugh Jackman, from left, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Tammy Reynolds and Randon Skelnar attend the world premiere of It Ends With Us on August 6, 2024
The tribute comes after Jackman revealed he started to see a therapist last year while shooting his latest movie The Son, in which he plays the father of a suicidal teen, as sessions were being offered to all cast members due to the film's dark themes.
The Greatest Showman star had a 'traumatic' start to life when his mother Grace left him as a child to start a new life in the UK.
Hugh's sisters, Zoe and Sonya, went to live with Grace in the UK; Hugh and his brothers, Ian and Ralph, stayed in Sydney with their single father.
Christopher died in 2021 at the age of 84.
'It was traumatic,' Hugh previously told Who magazine, recalling his difficult childhood. 'I thought she was probably going to come back. And then it sort of dragged on and on.
The Hollywood megastar previously said he didn't believe in therapy, noting it wasn't as prevalent in Australia, but has now decided it's time to face his demons.
'It's helped me a lot,' he told The Sun newspaper in February 2023. 'With therapy, it either works for you or it doesn't.'
Now living in New York City, the Broadway star believes it's important to surround himself with people who will listen to him.
The Greatest Showman star had a 'traumatic' start to life when his own mother Grace left him as a child to start a new life in the UK. Pictured hugging Tammy Reynolds
Australian actor Hugh Jackman said he 'made peace' with his mother (pictured in 2021) a long time, adding that therapy had helped him understand how his past informs his present thinking
'You need a friend that you can unload with everything. You need that in all sorts of ways, from all sorts of people,' he said.
'Having someone really smart, who's actually a little bit removed from your world can be really helpful. I've found it really helpful.'
Although she abandoned him as a child, Hugh revealed why he'd 'made peace' with his mother.
'I know she was struggling. She was in hospital after I was born suffering from post-natal depression,' he told Who magazine.
'And then you add five kids into the mix and the fact she had emigrated from England and there wasn't a support network for her here, plus the fact that dad was at work all day - and you realise that as parents we make mistakes.'
Hugh explained that having children of his own with ex-wife Deborra-Lee Furness gave him 'another level of empathy and understanding' that allowed him to build bridges with his mother.
'There comes a certain point in life when you have to stop blaming other people for how you feel or the misfortunes in your life,' he added.
Hugh and his ex Deborra-Lee, 67, are parents to two adopted children, Oscar, 22, and Ava, 17.
