Hugh Jackman said he avoided deportation thanks to his Wolverine role in 'X-Men'

• Hugh Jackman said that he avoided deportation thanks to his role as Wolverine in the "X-Men" movies.
• During a Friday appearance on "The Tonight Show," the actor said he was able to impress a customs agent.

Hugh Jackman said he used his breakthrough role as Wolverine to avoid deportation to Australia.

The "X-Men" actor shared the story with Jimmy Kimmel on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" Friday. Kimmel hosted the show thanks to an April Fools' Day swap with Fallon.

Jackman said he was traveling between Los Angeles and Toronto, where the first "X-Men" movie was shot in 2000, without a visa. Someone working on the film told Jackman to lie about auditioning for the role to get through customs, even though he had already secured the part.

Despite pegging the customs agent as "nerdy," Jackman said he couldn't bring himself to lie after the agent started asking questions.

"I'm like, sweat just pouring down, and I literally then said, 'No, no, it's not audition. I've got the part.' I just broke. It was pathetic," the actor said.

After waiting in a back room at the airport, Jackman explained that he was starring in the live-action remake of the "X-Men" animated series. When he revealed that he would be playing Wolverine in the movie, the agent let him go with a police escort, but only after Jackman signed some autographs.

"He was a mad 'X-Men' fan, and that's the only reason I ended up getting the part," Jackman said.

Representatives for Jackman did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Jackman is currently starring as Professor Harold Hill in the Broadway revival of "The Music Man" with actress Sutton Foster. During his appearance on "The Tonight Show," Jackman also shared a gift he found backstage from Ryan Reynolds — a photo of Reynolds with a note that said, "Good luck with your little show. I'll be watching."