Hugh Jackman in Talks to Buy Stake in Norwich City

Hugh Jackman is in talks to buy a stake in Norwich City – and he insists this is the year the Canaries go up.

The Wolverine star, a lifelong Norwich fan through his Norfolk-born mother, revealed he is negotiating with the club’s board over purchasing shares, with any deal understood to be an investment directly into Norwich City rather than the Norfolk Holdings group that controls it.

Speaking on TalkSport when asked if he might follow his close friend Ryan Reynolds into English football ownership, Jackman didn’t hesitate.

"I'm very, very interested – and talking about it right now," he said. "You're the first one to know that. There's a little exclusive.

"Good on Ryan, you do your thing, I'm all about the Canaries."

From FA Cup nights to Carrow Road dreams

Jackman’s bond with Norwich runs back to his childhood in Australia. His English parents, who emigrated Down Under, would wake him in the middle of the night for the FA Cup.

"When I was in Australia, growing up, I had English parents who emigrated to Australia," the 57-year-old said at the release of his new film, *The Death of Robin Hood*.

"We used to watch the FA Cup. It was the only thing we were allowed to stay up for, 3 o'clock in the morning. We had to go to bed first, and we were woken up to watch it.

"So I was seeing all these teams, Arsenal and all these teams, and I was like, I've got to pick a team.

"I said, 'Mum, where are you from?' She went, 'Norwich'.

"I went, 'Is there a football team in Norwich?' She went, 'Yep'. I said, 'That's my team'.

His mother still lives in the city. Jackman has spoken before about visiting her as a child and making a pilgrimage to Carrow Road at 16. He has since been back “a couple of times” and still leans fully into the colours.

“I went to Carrow Road a couple of times, and I love the Canaries, and this is the year we’re going to get promoted. That’s my prediction," he said.

He even owns a replica of the Milk Cup commemorative shirt from 1984, a nod to one of the club’s most cherished triumphs.

A missed chance with Delia – and a second shot

This is not the first time Norwich have tried to bring Jackman into the boardroom.

Back in 2011, when Delia Smith was still the majority shareholder, the actor revealed the club had reached out.

"I got a letter about a year ago saying, 'Being such a huge Norwich City fan would I like to be a celebrity investor?', like a small part-owner," he recalled.

"I said, 'I think that's a little stretched; I've been to Carrow Road once, my mum took me', so I decided not to invest."

The tone has changed. Jackman is now said to be worth around £100m and talks with the club have been going on “for some time”. This time, the timing – and the ownership structure – look very different.

Norfolk Holdings, headed by American businessman Mark Attanasio, upped its stake in March last year, taking control from Smith and Michael Wynn-Jones. The group now holds around 85% of the club’s shares.

Attanasio, who also runs Major League Baseball team Milwaukee Brewers, fronts a board that still includes Smith and Wynn-Jones as celebrity fans with a 10% stake after their 28 years of active leadership ended in 2024. A cluster of independent supporters and small investors own the remaining shares.

Jackman’s potential involvement would sit alongside that framework, as a fresh injection into the club rather than a slice of the holding company.

Hollywood, waffles and the new wave of owners

Jackman’s affection for Norwich goes beyond the stadium. In 2023 he was spotted at the Waffle House on St Giles Street, telling staff he drops in whenever he is in the city. The Hollywood star in a cosy Norwich café has become part of local folklore.

If he does sign on, Norwich will join a growing list of English clubs with American or Hollywood names on the shareholder register.

Reynolds, Jackman’s friend and occasional on-screen rival, co-owns Wrexham, who now share the Championship stage with Norwich. NFL legend Tom Brady is a minority shareholder at Birmingham City. JJ Watt holds a minority stake in Burnley. Will Ferrell has a slice of Leeds United as part of the 49ers group, while Snoop Dogg owns part of Swansea City.

An American-led “celebrity shareholder” era has quietly taken root across the divisions. Norwich, steeped in community identity and East Anglian pride, could soon be fronted by one of cinema’s most recognisable faces.

Jackman has nailed his colours to the mast: this is the year he believes Norwich will be promoted. If the deal goes through, the question becomes sharper.

Will the next chapter in the Canaries’ rise be written with Wolverine in the directors’ box at Carrow Road?