Who is Hugh Jackman’s best friend and personal trainer Michael Ryan? Inside their 30-year friendship as the Hollywood actor spends a week with Aussie pal following split with Deborra-Lee Furness

He has been Hugh Jackman’s personal trainer and best friend for over 30 years.

So it’s no surprise that Michael Ryan is spending time with his Hollywood actor boyfriend almost every day while he’s back in Australia for the holidays.

Since he was sighted Sydney last Sunday, the Wolverine star spent almost every moment with Michael in what was a highly anticipated meeting between the two best friends.

The pair were first spotted dining at Speedos Café in the trendy seaside suburb of North Bondi.

They were joined by Hugh’s two children, Oscar, 24, and Ava, 19, whom he shares with his estranged wife, Deborra-Lee Furness.

The next day, Hugh maintained his toned physique at the gym with his personal trainer friend.

Leaving a Bondi gym together, Michael showed off his tanned skin and washboard abs while wearing khaki training shorts and white running shoes.

Earlier, in the gym, Hugh was seen shouldering an impressive 35kg as his trainer looked on and observed his form.

The Greatest Showman star wore a gray shirt and black shorts and wrapped a towel around his neck as he left the fitness center before taking a quick dip at a nearby beach.

Later that Monday, Hugh and his two children enjoyed a family day out with Michael and his daughter as they cruised Sydney Harbour.

The 56-year-old was visibly excited to spend quality time with his family and exuded a relaxed vibe.

Hugh and Michael were also joined by other close family members of the trainer. But his wife, Zoe Bingley-Pullin, did not appear to be in attendance.

On Wednesday, Hugh kept his spirits up as he laughed and joked with his longtime personal trainer and friend on the beach.

Hugh cooled off amid the humid climate by taking a dip in the sea and then chatted with Michael as they walked along the beach together.

Hugh and Michael have enjoyed a solid friendship and working relationship for over thirty years.

The pair met at a Sydney gym ahead of the Les Misérables star’s on-screen career.

“I was working at a gym and he was introduced to being a towel boy by a friend of his, Gina Chick!” Michael told Today Extra in July.

“He wasn’t even an actor then. So on the journey of meeting him, I showed him how to train and then he got a role in acting.

‘I’ll never forget it. He said to me one day, “If I ever made it as an actor, I would use you as my trainer.”

In May 2007, Hugh Michaels was best man at his wedding to Zoe.

The couple married at St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Sydney’s Darling Point, with Hugh’s now ex-wife Deb in attendance with their two adopted children.

“I’m very proud to be this man’s best man,” Hugh told The Sunday Telegraph at the time.

“It’s going to be a very exciting day and there are a lot of surprises he doesn’t know about.”

Hugh is currently back in Australia to spend the Christmas period with his children, following his divorce from his wife Deb in September 2023. It is unclear whether their mother will also return to Australia for Christmas.

Hugh – who lives in New York – and his children are believed to be staying in his stunning $12 million North Bondi penthouse.

The regular chats between Hugh and Michael come after reports that Hugh’s ex-wife, Deb, was said to be ‘seething with anger’ over his rumored new romance with Sutton Foster.

Hugh and Deb, 69, confirmed their split after nearly three decades together in September 2023, and he is now rumored to be dating Broadway star Sutton, 49.

It is claimed that Deb was furious because she was ‘the last to know’ about the relationship.

According to RadaronlineDeb was particularly unimpressed with Hugh’s close friend Ryan Reynolds and his wife Blake Lively, both of whom reportedly ‘remained silent’ about the romance rumors.

“They remained tight-lipped out of loyalty to Hugh,” a source told the publication.

“Now seething with anger at being the last to know, Deb feels blindsided. She has a memory like a steel trap and is not afraid to use it.

“Debs feels betrayed by all three because someone could have told her what was going on and they all chose to remain silent,” she added.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Deb and Ryan’s representatives for comment.

Hugh reportedly planned to introduce Sutton to his and Deb’s children over the holidays.

However, Deb is said to be ‘not keen on the idea’, with a source claiming she doesn’t want a ‘mixed’ family Christmas.

“It’s a delicate balancing act and he feels like if anyone is spending less time with the kids this year, it’s him,” she added.

The insider said that Hugh and Sutton are determined to make their relationship work and are keeping things quiet at the moment.

Hugh and Sutton took on the roles of Harold Hill and Marian Paroo in The Music Man, which ran from February 2022 to January 2023 at the Winter Garden Theater in Manhattan.

The pair have attended public events together and performed at the opening night of their show The Music Man on Broadway in February 2022.

In September 2023, Hugh shocked fans when he filed for divorce from Deb.

“We are blessed to have had a beautiful, loving marriage together as husband and wife for nearly three decades,” the couple said in a joint statement.

“Our journey is now changing and we have decided to part ways to pursue our individual growth.”