Hugh Jackman and Angelina Jolie are back in the same headline, but not because of a confirmed movie or romance.
A new StyleCaster report, also picked up by Yahoo, revived an old Hollywood joke after reporting that Jackman is interested in working with Jolie.
In 2015, Jackman’s then-wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, joked that she had told his agent he was “not allowed” to work with Jolie.
That line was always framed as a joke, but it now reads differently because Jackman and Furness are divorced, Jackman is publicly linked to Sutton Foster, and Jolie remains one of the few A-list actresses he has never shared the screen with.
Furness Once Joked Jackman Was “Not Allowed” to Work With Jolie
The original quote came during a 2015 joint interview with Jackman and Furness on Australia’s Today show.
Entertainment Tonight reported at the time that Furness quipped, “I’ve told his agent he’s not allowed to work with Angelina.”
She immediately softened the line by adding, “I’m sure she’s lovely.”
LADbible later resurfaced the exchange and noted that Furness also praised Jolie’s work around adoption and world aid, making clear the comment was not presented as a serious feud.
Jackman Had His Own Brad Pitt Comeback
Jackman later answered the joke with one of his own.
LADbible reported that Jackman said he was fine with Furness’ “no Angelina” rule as long as Furness did not work with Brad Pitt.
“Deb and I have been married for 20 years. We have a lot of rules. We’re very balanced,” Jackman said at the time. “So she said that — as long as she doesn’t work with Brad Pitt, we’re cool.”
The exchange worked because it was playful. It was not a public fight, and it was not evidence that Jolie and Furness had any personal conflict.
The Rumor Returns After Jackman’s Divorce
The old joke has resurfaced at a very different point in Jackman’s life.
Jackman and Furness announced their separation in September 2023 after 27 years of marriage. People reported that Furness filed for divorce in May 2025 and that their divorce was finalized the following month.
People also reported that Jackman and Sutton Foster confirmed their romantic relationship in January 2025 after years of friendship and their Broadway run together in The Music Man.
That timeline is why a possible Jolie team-up now gets more attention than it would have years ago. It connects a new casting rumor to an old marriage joke, even though no confirmed project has been announced.
Jackman Is Already in a Busy Movie Stretch
The rumor also lands as Jackman promotes another major film.
A24 lists The Death of Robin Hood for a June 19, 2026 release. The film stars Jackman, Jodie Comer, Bill Skarsgård, Murray Bartlett, and Noah Jupe, with Michael Sarnoski directing.
The official synopsis describes Jackman’s Robin Hood as a man grappling with a past life of crime and murder after being gravely injured in what he thought would be his final battle.
That current career context helps explain why Jackman’s future co-stars are being discussed. He is in another high-profile screen moment, and Jolie’s name adds instant curiosity.