Hugh Jackman reveals 'real superhero' teacher finalists ahead of Dubai ceremony

On Thursday, Australian actor Hugh Jackman announced the 10 finalists of U.S. $1 million Global Teacher Prize, just ahead of the Dubai-held ceremony.

In the four-minute video, Jackman refers to the teachers as the "real superheroes." The Wolverine star also recalled his "transformative" experience with his acting teacher, Lisle Jones. 

"When I was a kid, there were lots of superheroes that I wanted to be. But I can tell you right now, from where I stand, with all my experience, the real superheroes are teachers — they're the ones that change the world," he said.

"My favorite uncle was a teacher, my sister is a teacher, my brother's a teacher, and I have always felt the most important job in the world is being a teacher."

The prize - which was launched by Varkey Foundation in 2015 - awards one teacher who has "made an outstanding contribution to the profession" from anywhere in the world a $1 million prize.

The 10 finalists for 2019 were competing against 10,000 nominations from various countries across the globe. 

The final winner will be announced in Dubai on March 24.

In 2016, Palestinian teacher Hanan Al Hroub was >awarded the $1 million Global Teacher Prize. Her win was announced by Pope Francis via a video announcement during a ceremony at the Atlantis Palm Hotel in Dubai.

Al Hroub, who teaches at the Samiha Khalil High School in Al-Bireh, Palestine, was presented with the prestigious award for her work in helping children learn through play. She documents her work in her book "We Play and Learn," in which she shows the technique she developed.

Al Hroub grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp and was motivated to become a teacher due to her experience as a mother of children who had been traumatized by the war. 

The ceremony that year had its fair share of distinguished guests, from Dubai's Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid to Parineeti Chopra, as well as Matthew McConaughey and Abhishek Bachchan. There were also plenty of video messages from Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, and Britain's Prince William.