Hugh Jackman has confirmed he's in active talks to buy a stake in Norwich City — and his co-star Ryan Reynolds is a big part of why.
"I'm very, very interested — and talking about it right now," the 57-year-old told talkSPORT. "You're the first one to know that. There's a little exclusive."
Reynolds, of course, co-owns Wrexham, whose rise through the English football pyramid has been well-documented. Jackman has watched all of it. And he's not been sitting quietly. "Good on Ryan, you do your thing," he said. "I'm all about the Canaries."
The one that got away — and now he wants back in
This isn't Jackman's first brush with Norwich ownership. Back in 2010, the club invited him to become a minority investor. He said no, reasoning he'd only been to Carrow Road once. "Sometimes I make big mistakes," he admitted in 2011, after Norwich went on a run.
Now Norwich sits in the Championship under an ownership structure led by American businessman Mark Attanasio — who holds 85% of the club — with Delia Smith and Michael Wynn-Jones retaining 10%, and the remaining 5% spread among smaller individual investors and fans. Where a potential Jackman stake fits into that picture isn't yet clear, but his interest is apparently genuine enough to be described as active talks rather than vague celebrity flirtation.
His connection to the club runs deeper than Hollywood novelty. Growing up in Australia, he chose Norwich after asking his mother — originally from Norfolk — which team to support. She said Norwich. He's been along for the ride ever since, including the 1985 League Cup win, which he still references, correctly, as the Milk Cup. "It's not even called the Milk Cup anymore, but we're on the rise," he said.
His promotion call is bold — and worth watching
Jackman predicted both Norwich and Wrexham get promoted this season. Wrexham are currently pushing in League One. Norwich, sitting in the Championship, have the stronger squad on paper but the division is merciless. Promotion odds for the Canaries will be worth tracking if a high-profile ownership announcement follows — celebrity investment tends to move markets even before it moves results.
Whether Jackman buying in actually changes anything on the pitch is another matter entirely. But if Reynolds gets a documentary series and a promotion, and Jackman gets nothing, don't expect him to stay quiet about it.
"We did win the Milk Cup in 1984," he said, getting the year slightly off but keeping the pride intact.
