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 season the Canaries go up.

The Wolverine star, a lifelong Norwich fan through his Norfolk-born mother, revealed on TalkSport that he is in active negotiations with the club’s hierarchy to purchase shares.

"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

Jackman’s bond with Norwich runs back to childhood. Born in Australia to English parents, he grew up on late-night FA Cup finals beamed into the family home.

"When I was in Australia, growing up, I had English parents who emigrated to Australia," the 57-year-old said at the launch 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'.

That choice has stuck. His mother still lives in the city. Jackman has visited Carrow Road “a couple of times” and still talks about his first trip there as a 16-year-old. He even owns a replica of the 1984 Milk Cup commemorative shirt – a totem of Norwich’s finest hour at Wembley.

He remains bullish about the club’s prospects.

“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."

From turning it down to buying in

This is not the first time Norwich have tried to get Jackman on board.

Back in 2011, when Delia Smith was the majority shareholder, the club sounded him out over a small celebrity stake.

"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. Talks this time are understood to be serious and ongoing, with Jackman – whose net worth is reported at around £100m – discussing investment directly into Norwich City rather than the parent company, Norfolk Holdings group.

New era in the boardroom

Norwich’s ownership structure has shifted dramatically in the past 18 months.

Norfolk Holdings, led by American businessman Mark Attanasio, increased its shareholding in March last year, taking control from long-time custodians Delia Smith and Michael Wynn-Jones. The group now owns around 85% of the club’s shares.

Attanasio also runs Major League Baseball franchise Milwaukee Brewers, underlining the American influence now embedded at Carrow Road.

Smith and Wynn-Jones, the celebrity duo who fronted 28 years of hands-on leadership before stepping back in 2024, still retain a 10% stake. The remaining shares sit with a cluster of independent fans and smaller investors.

Jackman’s potential arrival would add another high-profile name to that mix, but not at the expense of Norfolk Holdings’ control.

Hollywood, helmets and the Championship

If Jackman does sign on, Norwich will join a growing list of English clubs with star power on the shareholder register.

Ryan Reynolds – Jackman’s close friend and occasional on-screen sparring partner – co-owns Wrexham, now a fellow Championship club, and has turned the Welsh side into a global story.

NFL legend Tom Brady holds a minority stake in Birmingham City. Another American football great, JJ Watt, is a minority shareholder at Burnley. Will Ferrell is part of the 49ers-led ownership at Leeds United, while Snoop Dogg owns a slice of Swansea City.

Norwich, with their American-led board and a Hollywood leading man circling, fit neatly into this new era. The game’s old power structures are colliding with celebrity capital and US sports expertise.

Still popping into the Waffle House

For all the noise around money and ownership, Jackman’s connection to Norwich retains a homely feel.

He was photographed in 2023 at the Waffle House on St Giles Street, a local institution he says he visits every time he is in the city. Staff there were told the same story: this isn’t a passing fad. Norwich is his club.

If the talks progress as expected, the next time Hugh Jackman walks into Carrow Road he may not just be another famous face in the directors’ box.

He could be walking in as a co-owner, staking more than just his prediction that this is the year Norwich go up.