Kristian also kept a blog during his illness which was updated for the final time by his wife.
In a post entitled The Final Call, Mrs Anderson wrote how her devoutly Christian husband considered Christmas "a great time to go".
Jackman yesterday paid tribute to Mr Anderson.
"While I never met Kristian, like everyone else I feel like I know him," he told Sydney's Daily Telegraph.
"He was an inspiration, and a reminder to treasure what really matters in life."
Mr Anderson had planned to spend Christmas in New Zealand with his wife's family and their two sons Cody, 5, and Jakob, 3, but was admitted to a Sydney hospice instead.
Mrs Anderson said she was "absolutely devastated" by her husband's death, which she said had been peaceful.
"His breaths got lighter and quieter and then they just stopped and then he was gone," she told the paper.
"We'd a long time to think about it but now it is here it's quite scary. I want to focus on remembering how he was when he was well - a brave, passionate, amazing man."
Mrs Anderson said that after explaining the death to their two children, Cody said: "That means we don't have a daddy any more."
"Cody asked me why, and I said the angels needed daddy in heaven. I'm sure that there will be other questions coming but that is that all their little brains can manage at the moment."
Mrs Anderson said they were blessed to have had time to say goodbye.
