Hugh Jackman reveals he has been diagnosed with skin cancer six times in new interview with Howard Stern

Hugh Jackman has opened up about his long-running battle with skin cancer, revealing in a new interview that he’s been diagnosed six times over the years.

The Wolverine actor appeared on The Howard Stern Show on Wednesday and got candid about his health journey, urging others to be more vigilant when out in the sun.

“I’ve had like six skin cancers. There’s three types. Melanoma, the worst. Squamous cell, not great. I’ve only had basal cell,” Jackman told Stern.

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Basal cell carcinoma accounts for 70 per cent of non-melanoma skin cancers and begins in the top, outer layer of the skin, according to the Cancer Council.

It can appear anywhere on the body, but most commonly develops on parts of the body that receive high sun exposure such as the head, face, neck, shoulders and back.

While it’s the least-aggressive form of skin cancer, it can spread into surrounding tissue and bone if not treated properly.

“No one has ever died in the history of the planet (from basal cell carcinoma), but it’s a cancer and it grows,” Jackman said.

“And if you don’t take it out, it’ll get into your bones and then you’ve got to take the bone out.”

Jackman, who is 57, revealed that his doctor has warned he’s “going to get a bunch more” diagnoses as his immune system changes with age.

“All skin cancer, all of it happens 25 years before the cancer comes. And he said it could be one time where you got burned really badly. Just one,” the Greatest Showman star added.

“Obviously, growing up in Australia, I always had a high risk. But everyone should get a check. It’s the most preventable cancer, I think, that is around.”

Though serious about the message he’s spreading, Jackman couldn’t help poking fun at himself for mistakes in the past.

“Even after the first one I had, I was like, ‘Ah, but it’d still be good to get a tan when I go away’. I’m like, what was I thinking? You’re an idiot. Be the pasty skin guy. Who cares?” he said, laughing.

The development comes two years after Jackman took to Instagram to share that he had two skin cancers removed from his nose.

“Please just wear sunscreen. It is just not worth it. No matter how much you want a tan, trust me, trust me,” he urged his followers at the time.

Jackman’s first diagnosis came in 2013 after his ex-wife Deborra-Lee Furness encouraged him to get a mark on his nose checked. A makeup artist also pointed out the suspicious spot while he was filming X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Australia has extremely high rates of skin cancer, with two thirds of people diagnosed in their lifetime, making it the most common cancer in the country.