Now the homegrown star is about to turn 50 and takes a look back at his life, including the secret pact he made with his wife of 22-years, Deborra-Lee Furness.
How will you celebrate turning 50?
I’m negotiating that as we speak. My wife [Deborra-lee Furness] would want the whole city of Toronto to come to my birthday party, while I’d probably like a dinner party for 10 – so we’re going to meet somewhere in the middle. We’ll do something and it’s going to be fun. But no speeches. No speeches.
And what about birthday gifts?
I am not a very materialistic person, to be honest. I have a journal and that was one of the greatest gifts my wife ever got me. When both of my children were born she gave me a journal with their names on it so I’ve been writing in those for both of them and I’ll give each journal to them when they’re 21.
Do you struggle to get a work/life balance?
When Deb and I got married, we made a pact that we would look at each other at every turning point in our lives and would ask ourselves if this is this good or bad for our family. The family is all four of us, so something may be great for my career but terrible for the family, or actually it may be a bit of a sacrifice for the family but really good for me. There’s been times I’ll say, “Oh my God, there’s this film and it’s such and such and it’s this and that” and very rarely, [Deb] looks at me and she’s like no, now is not the time and she is just the best barometer of that.
How has Deb supported your career?
There’s a time no-one knows about, when I was offered Oklahoma in London and she was offered a spot at the very prestigious directing school at the Victorian College of the Arts – and that’s impossible to get into. There’s two or three taken a year, and I said, “Well, we’ll stay” and she said, “No, now you need to go. We need to go to London and you need to do Oklahoma.” I never forget her selflessness in saying that because I know she always wanted to direct, and that was a big moment for her.
Read the full interview in this week's issue of WHO, on sale now.
