Neil Jackson
Encyclopedia
Neil Jackson is an English actor and writer who has appeared in several television series and films, but is probably best known for his role as Marcus on Blade: The Series
and Sasha on Make It or Break It. His screenwriting credits include the film The Passage directed by Mark Heller and released in 2007. He has starred in several other films including Quantum of Solace and Push
.
, Bedfordshire
, England, the second of four sons to Evelyn and Dennis Jackson.
Neil was introduced to acting when studying Drama at GCSE level in Harlington Upper School
. His teacher, Nigel Williams, placed him in several of the school plays including Annie, Little Shop of Horrors, Hard Times, and West Side Story. He also acted in National Youth Theatre as a teenager before moving to Cardiff
to study sport at the University of Wales Institute Cardiff
(UWIC) in Wales
.
In Wales, Jackson started competitive boxing after learning of the British Universities Boxing Championships, an inter-university competition held throughout the whole of Britain. He entered and won the gold at light-middle weight. He went on to successfully defend his title two years later at middle weight. His boxing earned him a scholarship to stay on at UWIC and study for his Masters degree. He graduated in 1998.
. He later enrolled in Michael Armstrong's Acting Academy, graduating in 2002.
Jackson's first professional acting job was a UK national touring production of Strindberg
's classic Miss Julie
. He understudied the lead character, Jean, a role he took over in the West End production later that year. His big break came when Oliver Stone
cast him as Perdiccas
in Alexander
alongside Colin Farrell
and Angelina Jolie
. He recalls having a black eye and three stitches in his eyebrow when he first met Oliver Stone, a fact he jokes must have assisted him as Stone cast him for the role on the spot. He was also in the football drama Dream Team
for a season as lottery winning chairman Phil Wallis.
In 2006 he made a guest appearance on Cold Case, in the episode "Sandhogs" of Season 4. He portrayed "Donny", the victim that was killed in a cave-in by his own brother. Then in 2007 saw the release of The Passage, a film written by Jackson and shot in Morocco
, in which he played a lead character alongside Stephen Dorff
. The film won the 2008 Jury Award at the Durango
Film Festival. He made a guest appearance on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
, in the episode "A La cart" of season 8. He appeared as Ian on How I Met Your Mother
. The following year in 2008 he made a guest appearance on CSI: Miami
and in 2009 he appeared as a wraith in Stargate: Atlantis.
Jackson shot a scene in Panama
for the Bond film Quantum of Solace, where he plays the character of Mr. Slate. He is currently starring in the ABC Family original series, Make It or Break It as Sasha Belov. Additionally, Jackson has appeared as Lucas Hellinger, a Blackout conspirator, on the show FlashForward
. In 2010 he starred as the chauffeur Harry Spargo in the BBC revival of Upstairs, Downstairs
. Jackson was recently cast in the lead role of Sir Percy Blakeney/The Scarlet Pimpernel in Fairbanks Productions' adaptation of the classic tale, scheduled for 2012.
, in memory of a friend.
Blade: The Series
Blade: The Series is a 2006 American live-action television program based on the Marvel Comics character and film series. It premiered on Spike on June 28, 2006...
and Sasha on Make It or Break It. His screenwriting credits include the film The Passage directed by Mark Heller and released in 2007. He has starred in several other films including Quantum of Solace and Push
Push (2009 film)
Push is a 2009 American science fiction thriller film directed by Paul McGuigan. The film stars Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle, Cliff Curtis, Joel Gretsch and Djimon Hounsou...
.
Early life
Jackson was born at home in LutonLuton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, England, the second of four sons to Evelyn and Dennis Jackson.
Neil was introduced to acting when studying Drama at GCSE level in Harlington Upper School
Harlington Upper School
Harlington Upper School is a rural, coeducational comprehensive school in Harlington, Bedfordshire as well as a successful sixth form. The school holds Specialist Science College status.-History:...
. His teacher, Nigel Williams, placed him in several of the school plays including Annie, Little Shop of Horrors, Hard Times, and West Side Story. He also acted in National Youth Theatre as a teenager before moving to Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
to study sport at the University of Wales Institute Cardiff
University of Wales Institute, Cardiff
Cardiff Metropolitan University is a university situated in Cardiff. It operates from three campuses: Llandaff on Western Avenue, Cyncoed, and Howard Gardens in the City Centre. The university serves over 12,000 students...
(UWIC) in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
In Wales, Jackson started competitive boxing after learning of the British Universities Boxing Championships, an inter-university competition held throughout the whole of Britain. He entered and won the gold at light-middle weight. He went on to successfully defend his title two years later at middle weight. His boxing earned him a scholarship to stay on at UWIC and study for his Masters degree. He graduated in 1998.
Career
Not knowing how to get into acting, Jackson wrote a musical and entered it into a national competition for new writers. It came in third and gained attention from producers in London including Michael ArmstrongMichael Armstrong (cinematographer)
Michael Armstrong is a British writer and directorArmstrong trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and was writing and directing films at the age of 22 with the award-winning short, The Image starring David Bowie and Michael Byrne...
. He later enrolled in Michael Armstrong's Acting Academy, graduating in 2002.
Jackson's first professional acting job was a UK national touring production of Strindberg
Strindberg
Strindberg may refer to:People* August Strindberg , Swedish dramatist and painter* Nils Strindberg , Swedish photographer* Anita Strindberg , Swedish actor* Henrik Strindberg , Swedish composerOther...
's classic Miss Julie
Miss Julie
Miss Julie is a naturalistic play written in 1888 by August Strindberg dealing with class, love, lust, the battle of the sexes, and the interaction among them...
. He understudied the lead character, Jean, a role he took over in the West End production later that year. His big break came when Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
cast him as Perdiccas
Perdiccas
Perdiccas was one of Alexander the Great's generals. After Alexander's death in 323 BC he became regent of all Alexander's empire.Arrian tells us he was son of Orontes, a descendant of the independent princes of the Macedonian province of Orestis...
in Alexander
Alexander (film)
Alexander is a 2004 epic film based on the life of Alexander the Great. It is not a remake of the 1956 film which starred Richard Burton. It was directed by Oliver Stone, with Colin Farrell in the title role...
alongside Colin Farrell
Colin Farrell
Colin James Farrell is an Irish actor, who has appeared in such film as Tigerland, Miami Vice, Minority Report, Phone Booth, The Recruit, Alexander and S.W.A.T....
and Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the...
. He recalls having a black eye and three stitches in his eyebrow when he first met Oliver Stone, a fact he jokes must have assisted him as Stone cast him for the role on the spot. He was also in the football drama Dream Team
Dream Team (TV series)
Dream Team is a British television series produced by Hewland International which aired on Sky1 and Sky3 from 1997 to 2007; it chronicled the on-field and off-field affairs of the fictional Harchester United Football Club....
for a season as lottery winning chairman Phil Wallis.
In 2006 he made a guest appearance on Cold Case, in the episode "Sandhogs" of Season 4. He portrayed "Donny", the victim that was killed in a cave-in by his own brother. Then in 2007 saw the release of The Passage, a film written by Jackson and shot in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, in which he played a lead character alongside Stephen Dorff
Stephen Dorff
Stephen Dorff is an American actor, best known for portraying Stuart Sutcliffe in Backbeat, Johnny Marco in Somewhere, and for his roles in Blade and Cecil B. DeMented.-Early life:...
. The film won the 2008 Jury Award at the Durango
Durango
Durango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
Film Festival. He made a guest appearance on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
, in the episode "A La cart" of season 8. He appeared as Ian on How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
. The following year in 2008 he made a guest appearance on CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
and in 2009 he appeared as a wraith in Stargate: Atlantis.
Jackson shot a scene in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
for the Bond film Quantum of Solace, where he plays the character of Mr. Slate. He is currently starring in the ABC Family original series, Make It or Break It as Sasha Belov. Additionally, Jackson has appeared as Lucas Hellinger, a Blackout conspirator, on the show FlashForward
Flashforward
A flashforward is an interjected scene that takes the narrative forward in time from the current point of the story in literature, film, television and other media. Flashforwards are often used to represent events expected, projected, or imagined to occur in the future...
. In 2010 he starred as the chauffeur Harry Spargo in the BBC revival of Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs is a British drama television series originally produced by London Weekend Television and revived by the BBC. It ran on ITV in 68 episodes divided into five series from 1971 to 1975, and a sixth series shown on the BBC on three consecutive nights, 26–28 December 2010.Set in a...
. Jackson was recently cast in the lead role of Sir Percy Blakeney/The Scarlet Pimpernel in Fairbanks Productions' adaptation of the classic tale, scheduled for 2012.
Other interests
Neil is patron of UK spinal injuries charity Trust PATrust PA
Trust PA is a UK registered charity working to help those suffering from paralysis as a result of a spinal cord injury, funding research, as well as the work necessary to convert successful research into properly tested and approved treatments that can be freely available in UK NHS hospitals and...
, in memory of a friend.
Filmography
- Heartbeat (2002)
- The House That Jack Built (2002)
- Is Harry on the Boat?Is Harry on the Boat?Is Harry on the Boat? was a 2001 British made for TV film, based on the lives of holiday reps in Ibiza. A television drama series then followed, airing on Sky One from 2002 to 2003.-Background:It's based on the book of the same name by Colin Butts...
(2002) - Ultimate ForceUltimate ForceUltimate Force is a British television drama series that was shown on ITV, which deals with the activities of the fictional Red Troop of the SAS...
(2002) - Dream TeamDream Team (TV series)Dream Team is a British television series produced by Hewland International which aired on Sky1 and Sky3 from 1997 to 2007; it chronicled the on-field and off-field affairs of the fictional Harchester United Football Club....
(2002–2003) - The Last DetectiveThe Last DetectiveThe Last Detective is an ITV drama starring Peter Davison as Dangerous Davies. The first series aired in 2003 with three more seasons succeeding this...
(2003) - Red Cap (2004)
- AlexanderAlexander (film)Alexander is a 2004 epic film based on the life of Alexander the Great. It is not a remake of the 1956 film which starred Richard Burton. It was directed by Oliver Stone, with Colin Farrell in the title role...
(2004) - The Last DropThe Last DropThe Last Drop is a 2005 war adventure film from writer/director Colin Teague. Teague teamed up with screenwriter Gary Young, with whom he had previously collaborated on the British crime drama films Shooters and Spivs...
(2005) - Sugar RushSugar Rush (TV series)Sugar Rush is an Emmy Award–winning British television comedy drama series developed by Shine Limited and broadcast by Channel 4, based on the Julie Burchill novel of the same name...
(2005) - Breakfast on PlutoBreakfast on Pluto (film)Breakfast on Pluto is a 2005 comedy-drama film directed by Neil Jordan and based on the novel of the same name by Patrick McCabe, as adapted by Jordan and McCabe...
(2005) - Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
(2005) - The Thirst (2006)
- Blade: The SeriesBlade: The SeriesBlade: The Series is a 2006 American live-action television program based on the Marvel Comics character and film series. It premiered on Spike on June 28, 2006...
(2006 TV series) - CSI: MiamiCSI: MiamiCSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
(We Won't Get Fueled Again "TV Appearance" 2006) - The Passage (2007) (actor/screenwriter)
- Freedom Dance (2007)
- 15 - 40 (2007)
- How I Met Your MotherHow I Met Your MotherHow I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
(TV Appearance) (2007) - Quantum of Solace (2008)
- Stargate AtlantisStargate AtlantisStargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
(2009) - PushPush (2009 film)Push is a 2009 American science fiction thriller film directed by Paul McGuigan. The film stars Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle, Cliff Curtis, Joel Gretsch and Djimon Hounsou...
(2009) - Table for ThreeTable for ThreeTable for Three is a straight to DVD comedy film written and directed by Michael Samonek and starring Brandon Routh, Jesse Bradford and Sophia Bush.Table for Three was released straight to DVD on the 23 of June 2009.-Plot:...
(2009) - Make It or Break It (2009–present)
- FlashForwardFlashforwardA flashforward is an interjected scene that takes the narrative forward in time from the current point of the story in literature, film, television and other media. Flashforwards are often used to represent events expected, projected, or imagined to occur in the future...
(2010) - You Will Meet A Tall Dark StrangerYou Will Meet a Tall Dark StrangerYou Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger is a 2010 English-language Spanish-American co-production comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. It features Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Gemma Jones, Freida Pinto, Lucy Punch, Naomi Watts, Roger Ashton-Griffiths and Pauline...
(2010) - Upstairs, DownstairsUpstairs, DownstairsUpstairs, Downstairs is a British drama television series originally produced by London Weekend Television and revived by the BBC. It ran on ITV in 68 episodes divided into five series from 1971 to 1975, and a sixth series shown on the BBC on three consecutive nights, 26–28 December 2010.Set in a...
(2010) - White CollarWhite collarWhite collar could refer to:* White-collar worker, a salaried professional or an educated worker who performs semi-professional office, administrative, and sales-coordination tasks, as opposed to a blue-collar worker, whose job requires manual labor...
(2011) - The Scarlet PimpernelThe Scarlet PimpernelThe Scarlet Pimpernel is a play and adventure novel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, set during the Reign of Terror following the start of the French Revolution. The story is a precursor to the "disguised superhero" tales such as Zorro and Batman....
(2012)
External links
- Official Website
- Myspace page
- Neil Jackson Discusses Life on the Set of "Alexander" – About.comAbout.comAbout.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
interview - Hollywood Reporter – The Scarlet Pimpernel
- The Scarlet Pimpernel announced