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Raising two kids and being married to one of Hollywood's most sought-after leading men hasn't left much time for Deborra-Lee Furness to focus on her career in recent years. But a job offer from one of her favourite film directors was too good to refuse.
So Furness went to work on Ray Lawrence's much-anticipated new film Jindabyne, which opens in New Zealand next week, while hubby Hugh Jackman looked after the kids.
"It was a logistical dilemma to make this film," says Furness. "We are based in America and have two children, but when Ray Lawrence comes to you and says 'Do you want to make a film?' it is a reality check. I respect Ray [director of the acclaimed Lantana] as a film-maker ... I like the way he works and what he has got to say."
Based on a short story by Raymond Carver, Jindabyne tells of a group of men who discover the dead body of a young woman while on a fishing trip. Instead of reporting the body to police immediately, the men wait until they've finished the fishing trip, resulting in a scandal in the local township of Jindabyne.
The film explores the damage the men cause to their own relationships when they return to town. Furness plays Jude, the wife of one of the men, Carl (John Howard).
"Woman have got to talk and talk and talk, and men go fishing," Furness said when asked about the dynamics of male and female relationships. "It is not that one way is better, we are just a different make-up and deal with things in a different way."
Jindabyne was shot in Australia's Snowy Mountains last year and also stars Laura Linney, Gabriel Byrne, Max Cullen, Betty Lucas and Leah Purcell.
Lawrence's style of delving into the intricacies of human relationships is part of what attracted Furness to the role. "I don't think I was surprised because I know Ray as a film-maker," she said. "I knew it would be raw ... it would be truthful ... it would be pacy.
"Ray is not a manipulative film-maker. He doesn't put music on to make us feel a certain way. He leaves things alone and lets it be and he does that to you as an actor. He casts you because he thinks you are right for it and trusts you to do what you do."
While Jindabyne is Furness' first acting gig in five years, she has been an Australian TV and film regular since the 1970s. She's had roles on TV shows Prisoner, The Flying Doctors, Neighbours, Halifax f.p. and Seachange, and films Stark and Angel Baby.
Her Jindabyne character, Jude, is very different from her previous roles. Jude is what Furness describes as a "typical Aussie woman".
"They're tough, you gotta get on with it," she explained. "It was hard to play Jude at first because she is so honest and tough."
It was also hard for Furness to come to terms with playing her first role as a grandmother.
"The truth is, it was frightening," admitted the 45-year-old. "It is set in the country - they marry young. You can have 40-year-old grandmothers there."
In her real life, Furness will have to wait a long time to become a grandmother. She has two adopted children - Oscar, 6, and Ava, 1.
Furness and Jackman have a busy schedule. They've been on the promotional circuit in recent months and went to the Cannes Film Festival in May, Furness for Jindabyne and Jackman for X-Men 3.
They may stay in five-star hotels, fly first class and party with Hollywood's A-list, but Furness insists they're just a normal family.
"Life is fantastic, he [Jackman] is the love of my life. We are just a family going along. When we go to do the red carpet, it is the job, like going to Disneyland for the day. "It is not really our life. We are at home changing diapers and going to the supermarket."
They are clearly enjoying life but Furness insists they don't take it for granted.
She and Jackman don't really have a base - they shuttle between New York, Los Angeles, London and Sydney.
With their eldest now school age, it may be time to set up a more permanent home, which is likely to be in New York.
"We are literally nomadic actors," she said. "We have lived on location pretty much for the past eight years. "We are hoping to establish a home."
The future will involve juggling home and work, with Jackman slated for six feature films. "To be an actor is a single person's game with logistics," Furness said. "It is all about balance. Family always comes first but part of me is the actor so if I don't let that live I am letting my kids down as well."
The couple also run their own production company, Seed Productions, which has an office in Australia. Furness is eager to do some work behind the camera and is developing scripts through the company.
"I want to direct a film," she said. "I am trying to develop and find something that I really want to say because as an actor I have been playing other people's ideas for 20 years. Now I want to put something out there that will have an impact."
Furness met Jackman on the set of the TV series Corelli in 1995 but the couple have not worked together on screen since. While she wouldn't rule out another on-screen collaboration, it is unlikely.
"I always think it is weird when I go and see movies with married couples like Tom and Nicole," she said.
"Don't you think it is a bit voyeury? It feels a bit weird. But with me directing ... maybe."
* Jindabyne from director Ray Lawrence (Lantana), also starring Laura Linney, and Gabriel Byrne, opens at cinemas, Thursday, November 30
- AAP
