Biography
Date of Birth
11 December 1982, Orlando, Florida, USA
Birth Name
Jonathan Stevens Jackson
Nickname
J.J, Jon
Jono
Height
5' 9" (1.75 m)
Mini Biography
Jonathan Jackson was born in Orlando, Florida, to Jeanine (Sharp), an officer manager, and Dr. Rick Lee Jackson, a family doctor and country musician. He is the younger brother of actor/singer Richard Lee Jackson and Candice E. Jackson. His ancestry includes English, German, Finnish, Scottish, and Scandinavian (Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish).
Jackson's family moved to Washington state when he was very young. Jonathan gave serious thought to an acting career following a family visit to Universal Studios Hollywood in 1991. His parents decided to let their sons try their luck in acting for 6 months, and so Jonathan and Richard moved down to Los Angeles with their mother while their father stayed back in Washington with Candice. Soon after, Jonathan landed a Corn Pops commercial. He had a few commercials under his belt before he was chosen, from several hundred young hopefuls, for the sought-after role of Luke and Laura's son, "Lucky Spencer", on the series General Hospital (1963). His first air date was October 29, 1993. He stayed on the soap opera for 6 years as the original "Lucky", garnering 6 Daytime Emmy nominations and 3 Daytime Emmys for Younger Actor along the way. While shooting the soap, Jackson also made 5 movies. His film debut was with Christopher Lloyd in 1994's Camp Nowhere (1994). He also made two TV movies, The Legend of the Ruby Silver (1996) and The Prisoner of Zenda, Inc. (1996) in 1996.
In 1997, he took time from the soap to shoot what would become his breakthrough film role as Michelle Pfeiffer's troubled son "Vincent Cappadora" in The Deep End of the Ocean (1999). In 1998, he filmed several episodes for the ABC series Boy Meets World (1993). In 1999, he again took a short break from GH to film a supporting role in the independent film True Rights (2000). After leaving the soap in 1999, Jackson was cast in a variety of films. At one point, he was considered the favorite to play "Anakin Skywalker" in the Star Wars films. He has played son to Sissy Spacek, William Hurt, Treat Williams, JoBeth Williams, Barbara Hershey and Judy Davis, and romantic interest to Alexis Bledel, Carly Pope, Erika Christensen, Romola Garai and Agnes Bruckner. He has also played brother to Brian Austin Green and best friend to Cillian Murphy and Nick Stahl, and has also shared the screen with Al Pacino, David Arquette and Ben Kingsley. He was also cast in Walden Media's "The Dark is Rising" but his scenes were cut before the film was released. Jackson's other abiding passion has been his music. He has been the lead singer and guitarist in a number of bands, most recently for Enation. Jonathan first sang his own work on General Hospital (1963) and his music has since been featured in a number of his movies.
Although acting is his favorite activity, Jonathan also participates in most sports, including basketball, baseball and rollerblading. He also enjoys playing the guitar.
Trivia
Has an older brother, actor-musician Richard Lee Jackson, and an older sister, Candace Jackson.
Older sister, Candace Jackson, used to act and is now a lawyer.
Had a band, Scarlet Road, with his brother, father and uncle. Now in band, Enation, with his brother, Richard Lee Jackson.
Plays guitar.
Fences with his brother and used to fence with Taran Noah Smith of Home Improvement (1991) when they worked on the same ABC lot.
He wanted to be a professional baseball player when he was younger.
Father is a Family Practice Physician who ran for a Congress in Washington State.
Jonathan's father, Ricky Lee, is a Doctor. His mother, Jeanine, is a Business Manager.
Graduated high school when he was 16.
In 1993 and 1994, Jonathan won the Hollywood Youngstar Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series, also due to his portrayal of "Lucky" (a.k.a. Lukas Lorenzo Spencer Jr.) on General Hospital (1963).
Was named one of the '50 Most Beautiful People in the World' by People Magazine in 1999.
He attended the ABC Kids N Teens acting and modeling program.
Son, Caleb Jackson, born June 21, 2003, which was also the one year anniversary of his marriage to actress Lisa Vultaggio.
Daughter Adora Jackson was born in July 2005.
Over the years, Jackson has been cast in two movies that lost their funding half-way through shooting: "The New Kid" in 1994 and "Six Wire Winter" in 2003. "The New Kid" also co-starred his brother, Richard Lee Jackson, and would have been Jonathan's film debut, but the movie lost funding and was never released. "Six Wire Winter" was to co-star Willie Nelson, but funding fell through and shooting was halted.
Very active in Republican politics. He campaigned for Mike Huckabee in 2008 and served as part of the "Hollywood A Team" for George W. Bush in his 2000 presidential campaign.
Son, Titus Gabriel Jackson, born 7 October 2010.
Filming The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising (2007) in Romania. [February 2007]
Has returned to the role he originally created as "Lucky Spencer" on ABC's General Hospital (1963). [October 2009]
Lead singer of the band Enation, which just released the album "Where the Fire Starts". [February 2007]
His ancestry includes English, German, Finnish, all three Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), Scottish, and Scots-Irish (Northern Irish), as well as distant Dutch and French roots.
He was to have had a major role in The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising (2007) but his part was cut entirely after filming was completed.
In 2012, Jackson and his family were baptized into the Orthodox Church.
Jonathan Jackson in a symbolic gesture, offered his 2005 Emmy Award to the "Holy and Great Monastery of Vatopedi" in Mount Athos, Greece. During his recent visit on the feast day of the Assumption of Mary on August 15, 2018, he took the award with him and took part on the Vigil with the monks, to whom he revealed his offer to the Mother of God.
Since he baptized into the Ortodox Church, he has expressed his admiration for the monks of Mount Athos and their commitment to God.
Born on exactly the same date as Cory Monteith.
Quotes
I like movies, because it's kind of a combination of every art, it's like it's picture, it's story, it's music, it's kind of like a clash and a collide of every art. It's really neat.
I think acting is a gift.
