In Hugh We Trust: why we love the Aussie actor

I must be getting old because I rather enjoy reading Reader's Digest.

The July cover features actor Hugh Jackman.

It's the whole package (well, head and shoulders - and he is wearing a suit) 5 o' clock shadow, lips curved in teasing smile and those lazy bedroom eyes staring right down the barrel of the camera.

Imagine all the 60-something nannas having a 'spell' at the sight of 'our very own' Hugh!

As it turns out, Jackman is there for a reason. He features high up on the mag's annual Most Trusted People list.

He finishes in 6th position after a burns doctor, brave soldier, cancer researcher, Clean-Up Australia founder Ian Kiernan and ex-cricketer Glenn McGrath, who is highly respected for his fundraising for breastcancer research (his lovely wife Jane succumbed to the disease 12 months ago).

IN 2007, Jackman made it to 21st place on the list and in 2008 he climbed to 16th.

But what's he done to deserve top 6 in 2009? It can't be just that he's hot-to-trot?

The article's author Heidi Krause writes that since '08 Jackman has hosted the Oscars and stamped his hand on Hollywood Boulevard.

She continues: "But despite his success we view Jackman as a normal, unaffected, devoted family man. He is down-to-earth, a great ambassador for Australia and exudes trustworthiness."

However, social commentator Bernard Salt, hits the nail on the head when he touches on the fantasy element.

Salt says of Jackman: "He is an idol. Half the population want to marry him and the other half want to be him."

I don't know about wanting to marry him, but...

it's easy to see why Jackman is one of the pin-up boys for romance writers.

Tip for our Hugh: To fly in at numero uno in 2010 all he has to do is a bit of fundraising - selling a couple of boxes of Cadbury's Freddo Frogs to raise money for his kids' footy camps should do it.