HUGH Jackman says one of his great childhood regrets was not taking dancing lessons because someone called him a “sissy”.

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Furness are launching their new foundation to support the performing arts in Australia in Perth. pictured is Hugh Jackman at ECU Mt Lawley for the launch

HUGH Jackman says one of his great childhood regrets was not taking dancing lessons because someone called him a “sissy”.

The actor said he was 12-years-old.

Jackman, sitting along his 12-year-old Australian co-star Levi Miller in the new big budget Hollywood movie Pan, said on Saturday the comment stuck with him.

“I wish I could take back the decision when I was 12 to not go and do dancing lessons,” Jackman, speaking to reporters while promoting the new Peter Pan movie at Comic-Con in San Diego, said. “I had a teacher at a school concert who pulled me aside and said, ‘There’s no dancing at this school but you have talent. You should go dance’.

“I won’t say who, but someone I know called me a sissy and I didn’t do it.” He said it wasn’t until he was 19 and was watching the musical 42nd Street that the same person apologised and said: “You should be up on that stage”.

Jackman signed up for dance lessons the next day and went on to win a Tony Award for his singing, dancing performance as Peter Allen in The Boy from Oz.

Hugh Jackman performs ‘Rio’ as Peter Allen in ‘The Boy From Oz”.

But, he feels the comment hurt his ability to dance.

“In the world of dancing, ages 12 to 18 are key,” Jackman said. While Jackman is a veteran of Comic-Con after visiting to promote his Wolverine and X-Men films, Sydney’s Miller was wide-eyed at the spectacle.

Pan, shot in London, was his first big film.

More than 130,000 comic book, anime and science-fiction fans pack the San Diego Convention Center.

New clips of Pan were shown to 6,000 fans, many who camped overnight to get the best seats.

Jackman plays the pirate Blackbeard, while Miller won a global search by English director Joe Wright for the boy actor to play Peter Pan.

Miller said when he was five and at school in Australia he performed a monologue about Peter Pan.

“It’s a coincidence,” Miller said, earning a big smile from Jackman.

Pan will be released in cinemas in Australia in September.