Hugh Jackman’s wife Deborra-Lee Furness returns to Neighbours… 35 years after playing Linda Fielding on the iconic soap
Hugh Jackman’s wife Deborra-Lee Furness is set to return to Neighbours – 35 years after she played Linda Fielding on the iconic Channel Seven soap.
As reported by the Herald Sun this week, the 63-year-old will step into the role of director for three episodes.
The episodes will feature a storyline about adoption- something very close to Deborra-Lee’s heart.
Return to Ramsay Street: Hugh Jackman’s wife Deborra-Lee Furness, 63, (pictured) is set to return to Neighbours to direct three episodes about adoption
Deborra-Lee is the founder of non-profit Adopt Change, a grassroots advocacy group for children in out-of-home care.
‘People know and love these characters, they know these character’s lives and it (this storyline) is representing real life,’ Deborra-Lee told the publication.
‘[It shows] what happens to people in Australia when they try to adopt.’ she said.
What a throwback! Her return to Ramsay Street comes 35 years after she played Linda Fielding on the iconic Channel Seven soap. Pictured on Neighbours in 1985
‘They (Neighbours) have worked with my team at Adopt Change, we have nuanced the storyline so it has integrity,’ she added.
According to figures published on Adopt Change there are 50,000 children in foster care in Australia, with only 315 adoptions taking place in 2017.
Deborra-Lee has spoken candidly about her adoption journey with husband Hugh Jackman and their two children: Oscar, 18, and Ava, 13.
Loving family: The Australian-born star has spoken openly about her experience of adopting the couple’s children: Oscar, 18, and Ava, 13. Pictured in 2012
Speaking to Stellar magazine in April of last year, Deborra-Lee with her saying the ‘universe had a plan in place’ for her family.
Despite initially starting the adoption process in Australia, she was forced to continue the process in the US, where laws are less draconian.
‘Those who knew that Hugh and I had adopted our children Oscar and Ava in the US would come up to me in the street and ask: ‘Why is it so hard to adopt in Australia?’
Advocate: ‘Those who knew that Hugh and I had adopted our children Oscar and Ava in the US would come up to me in the street and ask: ‘Why is it so hard to adopt in Australia?’
Speaking to Channel Nine in December last year, Deborra-Lee spoke about how Australians can support children who have ‘aged out’ of foster care.
‘You don’t have to adopt a child to be involved here. Reach out to a kid transitioning from foster care [to] going to college, hopefully,’ she said.
She added: ‘Give them a computer, ring them up to see how their grades are, just to let them know someone cares.’
So happy! This year, Deborra-Lee and Hugh marked 24 years of marriage together. The famous Australian couple met on the set of ABC drama Correlli in 1995. Pictured in 2018