Standing with wife Deborra-Lee Furness, Jackman said, "I'll be honest with you, there was a moment about three weeks before, I almost quit. I honestly had the worst day of rehearsals, humiliating day of rehearsals. I came out of it and said [to his wife], 'Babe, now's the time I quit, there's someone else out there' and she talked me off that cliff."

Jackman, who had never told director Tom Hooper what happened, retold the story when he accepted the award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for "Les Miserables." Jackman said to his wife, "Baby, I will say it in front of the entire world -- thank you for always being right, baby. I love you."