‘I get stopped more on the street for my coffee than my movies’: Aussie actor Hugh Jackman on his charity enterprise

Aussie actor Hugh Jackman has spoken of his burgeoning fair trade coffee empire, revealing he’s stopped more often on the street by fans of his cafes than by those of his movies.

In a recent interview with CBS News, Jackman explained how he was inspired to launch the Laughing Man coffee venture after making a documentary about an Ethiopian coffee farmer by the name of Dukale, Dukale’s Dream (2015) for charity World Vision.

He said meeting Dukale – a fair trade farmer who works in cooperative in his village – and his family in 2009, brought home to Jackman a desire to create something that “lives beyond me”.

Jackman’s venture now includes two New York City cafes, a coffee brand and a foundation committed to helping entrepreneurship in developing nations.

“It’s not about what you’re given, it’s what you do with it,” he said.

Jackman subsequently went on to launch the Laughing Man Foundation, which is committed to promoting “entrepreneurship, educational initiatives, and community focused efforts” in developing countries.

All profits made from the Laughing Man coffee and café go directly towards the foundation.

So far Jackman’s endeavour has enjoyed remarkable success, with US national retailer Kroger acquiring Laughing Man coffee for distribution two months ago.

The brand is now available in 1800 stores across the country, ensuring even greater reach than before.

Jackman said that the Laughing Man cafes in Lower Manhattan have been equally well received, and believes it’s not his celebrity status but the coffee itself that he has to thank for this.

“I get stopped more on the street, I can tell you this, in New York, for people thanking me for this café, for the coffee, than for any of my movies,” he told CBS News.