Amy Jackson

Early life

Amy Louise Jackson was born in Douglas, Isle of Man on 31 January 1992, the daughter of Liverpool natives Marguerita and Alan Jackson. She has an older sister named Alicia, who is a teacher. Jackson was raised as a Christian. When Jackson was two years old, the family returned to Liverpool and lived with her grandmother in the suburb of Woolton so that her father could continue his career with BBC Radio Merseyside. Her parents later divorced. She attended St Edward's College in the suburb of West Derby and intended to take her A-Levels in English literature, philosophy, and ethics before she was cast in her first film.

Career

Modelling

After winning the Miss Teen Liverpool and Miss Teen Great Britain pageants, Jackson won the title of Miss Teen World in 2009. In 2009, Jackson started her modelling career with the Northern-based modelling agency, Boss Model Management, and then went on to sign with her London agency, Models 1. She won Miss Liverpool in 2010. She competed for the Miss England title in 2010 and was crowned the runner-up to Jessica Linley.

2010–2012: Breakthrough in Indian films

In 2010, Indian film producers spotted Jackson's photo on the Miss Teen World website and invited her to audition for the Tamil period-drama film Madrasapattinam (2010). Despite having had no previous acting experience, she was cast as the female lead opposite Arya. The film, set against the backdrop of Pre-Independence India, tells the story of a British Governor's daughter who falls in love with a village boy. Jackson admitted that it was very difficult to learn the Tamil dialogues. The film was released on 9 July 2010; it was praised by critics and performed well at the box office, with Jackson gaining praise for her performance. Sify wrote, "It is an out and out Amy Jackson show. She is simply amazing to deliver lines in Tamil, and is one good reason to see the film". Behindwoods wrote, "The one who walks away with the top honours is Amy Jackson for a beautiful portrayal of a lady torn between her love and the mighty empire. She looks absolutely beautiful, emotes well through her expressive eyes and is able to earn the sympathy of the audiences during tough times". Rediff wrote, "Amy Jackson is almost perfect as the wide-eyed young girl who is seeing India for the first time, fascinated by its culture".

In 2011, she was signed by Gautham Vasudev Menon to play the female lead opposite Prateik Babbar in Ekk Deewana Tha (2012), the Hindi remake of the 2010 hit romantic drama film Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa. She essayed the role played by Trisha in the original, of Jessie, a Malayali Nasrani Christian who falls in love with a Hindu boy, but is prevented from pursuing the romance by her father. The film was released in February 2012. Jackson received praise for her performance and for her chemistry with Babbar, with BehindWoods stating that "she has done wonders," and the Times of India saying that "she never disappoints."

In September 2012, Jackson made her return to Tamil cinema with a supporting role in Thaandavam (2012), starring opposite Vikram and Anushka Shetty. She was signed for the film in 2011 and shooting took place in India and London, enabling Jackson to return to see her family and friends. It was her second collaboration with director A. L. Vijay after Madrasapattinam (2010). She played the role of Sarah Vinayagam, a British-born Anglo-Indian girl who wins the Miss London title. She received her first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil at the 60th Filmfare Awards South ceremony.

2014–present: Recent work

Jackson made her debut in Telugu cinema with the Vamshi Paidipally's Yevadu (2014) alongside Ram Charan and Shruti Haasan, playing the role of Shruti. Jackson next starred as supermodel Diya in Shankar's romantic thriller film, whose title is simply I (2015), the biggest project in her career. The making of the film, one of the most costly Indian films to date, took over two-and-a-half years, with a major part of the film being shot in China. The film was released on 14 January 2015 and received a mixed critical response, although Jackson's performance received favorable reviews. Deccan Chronicle wrote that she was "simply superb. She is another highlight of the film and has given a mature performance", while Sify noted that she was "the biggest surprise packet in the film" and "perfect eye candy". Consequently, she was ranked #1 in The Times of India, Chennai Edition list of the most desirable women in 2014.

After I (2015), Jackson signed on to Prabhu Deva's Singh Is Bliing (2015), opposite Akshay Kumar. She had signed on to be part of Venkat Prabhu's supernatural thriller Masss (2015), but opted out of it later when the script and her character were changed. Instead, she signed on to Velraj's Thanga Magan (2015) alongside Dhanush and Samantha Ruth Prabhu.

Soon after, Jackson starred in Thirukumaran's Gethu (2016), portraying an Anglo-Indian girl, for which she won positive reviews, . She has been shooting for a "gritty BBC drama series", on which she declined to further elaborate. She then portrayed the lead female role in Atlee's Theri (2016), featured alongside Vijay while portraying a Malayali teacher. Her performance received positive reviews and her role as a teacher was well appreciated. Upon release, the film went on to become one of the most profitable Tamil films of all time.

On 25 September 2017, it was announced that Jackson had been cast in her first Hollywood role as Imra Ardeen, aka Saturn Girl, in The CW's superhero drama series Supergirl (2017). The character made her first appearance in the third season. The series, based on DC characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, is produced by Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros Television.

Jackson has played Sita in Prem's Kannada film The Villain (2018) alongside Shiva Rajkumar and Sudeep. She starred as the andro-humanoid robot Nila in Shankar's film 2.0 (2018) alongside Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar. After a five-year hiatus, Jackson returned to film with Mission: Chapter 1.

Personal life

Jackson is a practising Christian. In 2017, Jackson spoke about her observance of the Western Christian liturgical season of Lent on its first day, Ash Wednesday.

In 2011, during the filming of Ekk Deewana Tha (2012), Jackson began a relationship with Prateik Babbar, an Indian actor. They broke up in 2012.

Jackson lived in Mumbai from 2011 to 2015, then relocated to London. She began dating hotelier George Panayiotou, the son of English-Cypriot businessman Andreas Panayiotou, in December 2015. They became engaged in Zambia on 1 January 2019. Their son was born on 19 September 2019. The couple later broke up at an unknown date in 2021. Jackson began dating English actor Ed Westwick in 2022. On January 29, 2024, they announced that they had gotten engaged in Gstaad, and got married in August of that year in Rocca Cilento, Campania. She later changed her name to Amy Jackson Westwick. On October 31 of the same year, Jackson announced she was pregnant with her second child and first with Westwick. On March 24, 2025, they revealed that their son, Oscar Alexander, had been born.

Media image and more

Jackson is a regular attendee at BAFTA, Cannes Film Festival, British Fashion Awards and International Fashion Weeks. In 2017 she was chosen as the muse for L'Agence at The Green Carpet Fashion Awards during Milan Fashion Week. She has been featured in editorials for fashion magazines like Vogue, Marie Clare, Cosmopolitan, ELLE.

Jackson is an ambassador and spokesperson for charities such as Being Human, Cash and Rocket, St. Jude's Hospital in Mumbai, and the Girl Child education program in India. In 2014, she posed with her rescue cat in a PETA campaign promoting the adoption of animals from shelters.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

• 2013: The Times of India's Most Desirable Women of 2012 #22
• 2013: The Times of India's Most Promising Female Newcomer 2012: #7 (for Ekk Deewana Tha)

References

References

1. (8 June 2017). "Amy Jackson".
2. (1 February 2017). "Watch: Amy Jackson celebrates birthday on the sets of 2.0". [[India Today]].
3. "Amy Jackson Biography, Family". celebfamily.org.
4. "Prateik's the sweetest and most caring guy: Amy Jackson".
5. "About Amy". Amy Louise Jackson.
6. Sharma, Mukul Kumar. (31 January 2012). "Amy Jackson Biography, Height, Movies and Details". Bollygraph.
7. (29 August 2008). "Liverpool's Amy Jackson is Miss Teen World". [[Liverpool Echo]].
8. "Amy Jackson". Boss Model Management.
9. "Amy Jackson". Boss Model Management.
10. "Miss Liverpool On Her Way To Win Miss England".
11. Collinson, Dawn. (25 January 2012). "Liverpool teen Amy Jackson on her new life in Mumbai and becoming an in-demand Bollywood leading lady". [[Liverpool Echo]].
12. "Madrasapattinam".
13. "Madharasapattinam Movie Review".
14. "Madharasapattinam is worth a watch". Rediff.
15. (19 April 2011). "Amy Jackson in VTV's Hindi version". [[The Times of India]].
16. (17 February 2012). "Ekk Deewana Tha: Movie Review". [[The Times of India]].
17. [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/Filmfare-Awards-2013-South-Tamil-Nominations/articleshow/20925356.cms Filmfare Awards 2013 (South) Tamil Nominations] {{Webarchive. link. (1 February 2015 , ''The Times of India'')
18. (24 September 2012). "Tollywood beckons Amy Jackson". [[The Times of India]].
19. (24 February 2012). "Amy Jackson to romance Vikram in I". [[The Times of India]].
20. (5 October 2014). "Amy Jackson is here to stay".
21. "Amy Checks in".
22. Rajendra, Ranjani. (14 January 2015). "Predictable beauty and the beast tale". The Hindu.
23. (14 January 2015). "Vikram's I is definitely a Pongal treat".
24. (14 January 2015). "Movie review 'I': Shankar's directorial fails to impress".
25. "Movie Review : I".
26. "Chennai Times Most Desirable Woman 2014: Amy Jackson".
27. (24 August 2015). "Amy Jackson: Hindi is far easier a language to pick up than Tamil".
28. Priya Gupta. (8 February 2015). "Amy Jackson replaces Kriti Sanon in Akshay Kumar's Singh Is Bling".
29. "Amy Jackson opens up on her exit from 'Masss'".
30. "Amy bags films with Dhanush, Udhayanidhi".
31. Petski, Denise. (25 September 2017). "'Supergirl': Bollywood Actress Amy Jackson To Recur As Saturn Girl".
32. Lakshmi, V. (7 October 2022). "Amy Jackson plays a British in her comeback film".
33. Wiseman, Andreas. (2023-12-03). "Amy Jackson On Her Bollywood Journey & Return To Acting After A Five-Year Pause — Red Sea Studio".
34. (8 February 2012). "Amy Jackson's 'Hosanna' song gets religious ire". Jollyhoo.
35. Sonali, Kriti. (3 March 2017). "Amy Jackson is on a secret countdown. Does it have to do with Rajinikanth’s 2.0 or Salman Khan?". [[The Indian Express]].
36. Gledhill, Ruth. (1 March 2017). "The Things These Celebrities Are Giving Up – Or Not – For Lent". [[Christian Today]].
37. (16 March 2022). "Prateik Babbar Shares How Breakup With Amy Jackson Affected Him: 'Heartbreak at 25 Hits Differently'".
38. Lalwani, Vickey. (2 August 2012). "Prateik, Amy's romance comes to an end". The Times of India.
39. (1 November 2015). "Amy Jackson Moves Into Her New Place In Mumbai".
40. (2 January 2019). "Amy Jackson gets engaged to George Panayiotou". The Indian Express.
41. (3 January 2019). "Amy Jackson Gets Engaged To Multi-Millionaire Businessman Boyfriend George Panayiotou".
42. (23 September 2019). "Amy Jackson and George Panayiotou welcome baby boy Andreas. See pic". [[India Today]].
43. (31 March 2019). "Amy Jackson is pregnant. Actress flaunts baby bump with boyfriend George Panayiotou in new post".
44. (4 May 2022). "Amy Jackson spotted walking with Ed Westwick. Fans ask if he is her boyfriend".
45. (29 January 2024). "Amy Jackson announces engagement with Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick. See dreamy pics from the proposal".
46. ANI. (2024-08-26). "Amy Jackson, Ed Westwick get married in dreamy Italian wedding". The Hindu.
47. (1 November 2024). "Pics: Amy Jackson announces pregnancy with husband Ed Westwick".
48. (March 24, 2025). "Gossip Girl’s Ed Westwick and Wife Amy Jackson Welcome First Baby Together: ‘Words Can’t Express the Wonder’".
49. (10 February 2019). "Baftas 2019: diamonds are a girl's best friend on the red carpet". [[The Daily Telegraph.
50. (21 May 2017). "Cannes 2017 red carpet: Amy Jackson sizzles in a white and gold Georges Hobeika's gown; see all her looks here".
51. (14 December 2018). "Amy Jackson at British Fashion Awards in London 12/10/2018".
52. "Amy Jackson on Instagram: "Congratssss @jw_anderson & thankyou for having me at your show!"".
53. "Topics".
54. (16 March 2012). "Amy Jackson – Marie Claire India (March 2012)".
55. (25 February 2019). "Amy Jackson on Hello Magazine".
56. Cave, Andrew. "The Spice Girl, The Beauty Queen And Girl Power 2018-Style".
57. "Salman Khan & Amy Jackson's STUNNING Photoshoot For Being Human Clothing 2017 – Being Human Foundation {{!}} A Salman Khan Foundation".
58. "Amy Jackson - Cash and Rocket".
59. (4 March 2017). "Amy Jackson spends time with kids at St Jude's hospital!".
60. (16 August 2010). "British teenager becomes Bollywood star". [[The Daily Telegraph.
61. "Ek Deewana Tha Cast & Crew".
62. (23 April 2012). "Amy Jackson opposite Ram Charan".
63. Joshi, Tushar. (25 April 2012). "Amy Jackson's Telugu debut". [[The Times of India]].
64. (2015-09-18). "Amy Jackson: I had to pinch myself when Singh Is Bliing was offered".
65. (2015-09-28). "Amy Jackson: 'Singh Is Bliing' my dream role". The Times of India.
66. (2015-07-01). "Amy Jackson kicks baddies MMA style in 'Singh is Bling'". The Times of India.
67. "Theri (2016) - Full cast & crew - IMDb".
68. Johal, Daljinder. (16 April 2018). "Boogie Man: A Coming-of-Age Story with Disco and Bollywood".
69. (17 May 2017). "Amy Jackson comes to the villain". [[The New Indian Express]].
70. Srivatsan. (17 May 2017). "The Villain: Amy Jackson to star opposite Shivrajkumar, Kichcha Sudeep". [[India Today]].
71. "Rajinikanth-Akshay Kumar-Amy Jackson Starrer 2.0 To Have A Grand Audio Launch In Dubai On October 27 – Read Details {{!}} India.com".
72. Hungama, Bollywood. (2018-11-30). "Amy Jackson’s role in 2.0 is a ‘gust’ appearance : Bollywood News - Bollywood Hungama".
73. ANI. (2023-12-23). "Amy Jackson wraps up shooting of 'Crakk'". The Hindu.
74. "Times Most Desirable Women 2012 – Results". ITimes.
75. (29 August 2013). "The most promising newcomer female for 2012 is". [[The Times of India]].