Hugh Jackman was left heartbroken by his and his wife's inability to have a baby.

The actor and his spouse Debra were both devastated when they were told they had fertility problems and he admits it was hard to have to go through IVF treatment and for Debra to suffer two miscarriages.

But he admits the love they have for their adopted children, son Oscar, 11, and daughter Ava, six, has eased the pain they experienced.

Hugh revealed: "It was painful. We thought we'd have a kid or two biologically and then adopt.

"Obviously, biologically wasn't the way we were meant to have children. I don't think of them as adopted - they are our children."

Hugh admits parenthood is not always easy but he has learnt a lot about himself from his kids.

The 43-year-old actor told the Daily Record newspaper: "With kids you have this wonderful ability to carry on for months without any sleep. And you learn patience. Kids have a way of pushing every button. They find the trigger points - those things that make you frustrated and angry and they use them."

Hugh's children even help him pick his film roles, as it was Oscar who encouraged him to star in robot boxing movie 'Real Steel' after he read the script to him as a bedtime story.

Hugh said: "I got to the end of the scene and Oscar was still awake. He told me to keep going and when we got through it, he said, 'Dad you have to do this.' "