Joshua Jackson | |
|---|---|
 Jackson at the 2010San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | Joshua Carter Jackson (1978-06-11)June 11, 1978 (age 47) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Spouse | |
| Partner | Diane Kruger (2006–2016)[1] |
| Children | 1 |
Joshua Carter Jackson (born June 11, 1978)[2] is a Canadian and American actor. He is known for his portrayals ofPacey Witter onThe WB's teen dramaDawson's Creek (1998–2003),Peter Bishop in theFox science fiction seriesFringe (2008–2013), a troubled married man onShowtime'sThe Affair (2014–2018), andChristopher Duntsch in thePeacock crime drama seriesDr. Death (2021–2023). For the last of these, he was nominated for aCritics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor. His other credits includeWhen They See Us (2019),Little Fires Everywhere (2020), andDoctor Odyssey (2024–2025).
Outside of television, he came to prominence with his role in theMighty Ducks film series (1992–1996). His other film appearances includeApt Pupil (1998),Urban Legend (1998),Cruel Intentions (1999),The Skulls (2000),Gossip (2000),The Safety of Objects (2001),The Laramie Project (2002),Cursed (2005),Bobby (2006), andShutter (2008). For his performance in the Canadian independent dramaOne Week (2008), Jackson won theGenie Award for Best Actor.
Jackson was born on June 11, 1978, inVancouver,British Columbia to parents John and Fiona. His mother is a casting director. Jackson's father is from Texas,[3] and his mother is a native ofBallyfermot, a surburb ofDublin, Ireland. She immigrated to North America in the late 1960s. He has a younger sister, Aisleagh, and two older half brothers, Jonathan and Lyman.[4] He was raised Roman Catholic.[5][6]
Jackson lived in California until the age of 8 when he moved to Vancouver with his mother and younger sister; he has said that his father was a bad parent and husband and abandoned the family when they were in the U.S. He attendedIdeal Mini School and later switched toKitsilano Secondary School. He attended high school with actorRyan Reynolds.[7]
Jackson started acting in a small role in the filmCrooked Hearts in 1991. The next year, he played the role of Charlie in a musical version ofWilly Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. At this point, with the help of the play's casting director Laura Kennedy, he joined the William Morris Agency.[8] Soon after, he landed the role of Charlie (#96) inThe Mighty Ducks series, playing a young and aspiring hockey player.
Jackson went on to appear as Pacey Witter onDawson's Creek, which was created byKevin Williamson and ran on the WB network from 1998 to 2003, and also starredJames Van Der Beek,Michelle Williams, andKatie Holmes.[9] While the show was on hiatus, he appeared in several movies includingCruel Intentions (an adaptation ofLes Liaisons dangereuses that also starredSarah Michelle Gellar andRyan Phillippe),The Skulls,The Safety of Objects,The Laramie Project and a short cameo in the remake ofOcean's Eleven in which he appears as himself in a poker scene with Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Holly Marie Combs. In 2000, he also guest-starred in Season 12 ofThe Simpsons, voicing the character of Jesse Grass, a "hunky environmentalist" and love interest forLisa Simpson in the episode "Lisa the Tree Hugger".[10] He also was cast as "Beau" in the movieGossip in 2000 with actors James Marsden, Kate Hudson and Norman Reedus.
Shortly afterDawson's Creek ended in 2003, Jackson played the lead role in films alongsideDennis Hopper (Americano),Harvey Keitel (Shadows in the Sun), andDonald Sutherland (Aurora Borealis). In 2005, Jackson moved to the UK and made his stage debut on theLondon West End withPatrick Stewart inDavid Mamet's two-man play,A Life in the Theatre. The play was a critical and popular success, and ran from February to April of that year. Jackson said that he would consider returning to the stage, to try his hand on Broadway. His next film role was inBobby, directed byEmilio Estevez, Jackson's co-star fromThe Mighty Ducks. He played a lead role inShutter, a U.S. remake offilm of the same name. He starred and acted as executive producer in the Canadian independent filmOne Week, which opened on March 6, 2009.[11][12]
From 2008 to 2013, Jackson played the lead role ofPeter Bishop in the science-fiction seriesFringe,[13] created byJ. J. Abrams,Roberto Orci andAlex Kurtzman.[14] The series was the second-highest rated new show of the 2008–2009 season afterThe Mentalist. BuddyTV ranked him #9 on its "TV's 100 Sexiest Men of 2010" list,[15] #19 in 2011[16] and #14 in 2012.[17]
Jackson was nominated for aGenie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for the filmOne Week.[18] He won the award on April 12, 2010.[19] He held and hosted the satirical Pacey-Con in 2010, directly across the street from theComic-Con, sporting a bowling shirt and giving outfan fiction, written byDawson's Creek fans, to those waiting in the Comic-Con entrance line. Footage of the event was recorded for a video, entitled 'Pacey-Con', which he was filming forWill Ferrell'sFunny or Die celebrity humor website.[20] In 2013, Jackson appeared in the IFC filmInescapable withMarisa Tomei andAlexander Siddig.[21] Jackson wrote the first story from the comic book trilogyBeyond the Fringe, titled "Peter and the Machine".[22] Jackson starred in the successful television showThe Affair, where he played Cole Lockhart, the protagonist husband of the unfaithful Alison Lockhart.[23]
In March 2018, Jackson made his theatrical debut on Broadway inChildren of a Lesser God, where he played James Leeds, an unconventional teacher at a school for the deaf who gets in a conflicted professional and romantic relationship with a deaf former student, Sarah Norman (Lauren Ridloff). The play ran through May 2018.[24]
In 2019, Jackson starred as defense attorney Mickey Joseph in the miniseriesWhen They See Us.[25]
In 2020, Jackson co-starred withReese Witherspoon andKerry Washington in the miniseriesLittle Fires Everywhere based on the novel byCeleste Ng.[26]
Jackson was cast as Dr.Christopher Duntsch, a neurosurgeon who was convicted of intentionally maiming his patient, inDr. Death which was based on the podcast of the same name, replacingJamie Dornan.[27]
In 2023, Jackson played the lead in the seriesFatal Attraction with Lizzy Caplan, inspired by the 1980s thriller film of the same name.[28]
 | This sectionis inlist format but may read better asprose. You can help byconverting this section, if appropriate.Editing help is available.(September 2024) |
Jackson was in a relationship withDawson's Creek co-starKatie Holmes during the first two seasons of the show's run. Holmes said that Jackson was her first love.[29]
From 2006 to 2016, he was in a relationship with German actressDiane Kruger.[30]
Jackson began a relationship with actressJodie Turner-Smith in 2018. They married on August 18, 2019. On April 13, 2020, the couple welcomed their daughter.[31][32] In October 2023, it was revealed that Turner-Smith had filed for divorce from Jackson.[33] In May 2025, it was reported that the couple had reached a divorce settlement.[34]
In December 2023, Jackson and fellow actorLupita Nyong'o confirmed they were dating.[35] In October 2024, Nyong'o announced they were no longer together.[36]
Jackson owned his childhood home inTopanga, California.[37] In 2025, the house burned down during thePalisades Fire.[38] He previously lived inWilmington, North Carolina, whereDawson's Creek was filmed, and in New York City, whereFringe filmed its first season. In 2009, he moved back to Vancouver to shoot four seasons of the show before the last episode was aired on January 18, 2013.[citation needed]
Jackson is a fan of theVancouver Canucks hockey team[39]and theSan Francisco 49ers football team.[40]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Crooked Hearts | Tom (11 years) | |
| 1992 | The Mighty Ducks | Charlie Conway | |
| 1993 | Digger | Billy | |
| 1994 | D2: The Mighty Ducks | Charlie Conway | |
| Andre | Mark Baker | ||
| 1995 | Magic in the Water | Joshua Black | |
| 1996 | D3: The Mighty Ducks | Charlie Conway | |
| 1997 | Ronnie and Julie | Ronnie | |
| Scream 2 | Film Class Guy #1 | ||
| 1998 | The Battery | Michael Papperman | Short film |
| Apt Pupil | Joey | ||
| Urban Legend | Damon Brooks | ||
| 1999 | Cruel Intentions | Blaine Tuttle | |
| Muppets from Space | Pacey Witter | Uncredited cameo | |
| 2000 | The Skulls | Lucas 'Luke' McNamara | |
| Gossip | Beau Edson | ||
| 2001 | The Safety of Objects | Paul Gold | |
| Ocean's Eleven | Himself | Cameo | |
| 2002 | The Laramie Project | Matt Galloway | |
| Lone Star State of Mind | Earl Crest | Alternative title:Cowboys and Idiots | |
| 2003 | I Love Your Work | John Everhart | |
| 2005 | Cursed | Jake Taylor | |
| Racing Stripes | Trenton's Pride | Voice | |
| Americano | Chris McKinley | ||
| Aurora Borealis | Duncan Shorter | ||
| The Shadow Dancer | Jeremy Taylor | Alternative title:Shadows in the Sun | |
| 2006 | Bobby | Wade Buckley | |
| 2007 | Battle in Seattle | Randall | |
| 2008 | Shutter | Benjamin Shaw | |
| Gashole | Himself | Documentary | |
| One Week | Ben Tyler | ||
| 2012 | Lay the Favorite | Jeremy | |
| Inescapable | Paul | ||
| 2015 | Sky | Detective Ruther | |
| 2025 | Karate Kid: Legends | Victor Lipani | |
| TBA | Happy Hours† | Andrew | Filming |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Payoff | Young Mac | Television film |
| 1996 | Champs | Matt Mazzilli | 2 episodes |
| Robin of Locksley | John Prince, Jr. | Television film | |
| 1997 | Ronnie & Julie | Ronnie Monroe | |
| On the Edge of Innocence | Sammy | ||
| The Outer Limits | Devon Taylor | Episode: "Music of the Spheres" | |
| 1998–2003 | Dawson's Creek | Pacey Witter | Main role: 124 episodes |
| 2000 | Saturday Night Live | Himself/host | Episode: "Joshua Jackson/NSYNC" |
| The Simpsons | Jesse Grass | Voice, episode: "Lisa the Tree Hugger" | |
| 2006 | Capitol Law | Mark Clayton | Unsold TV pilot |
| 2008–2013 | Fringe | Peter Bishop | Main role: 96 episodes |
| 2014–2018 | The Affair | Cole Lockhart | Main role: 29 episodes |
| 2016 | Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Purvis | Episode: "Kimmy Goes to a Hotel!" |
| Years of Living Dangerously | Himself | Episode: "Collapse of the Oceans" | |
| 2019 | When They See Us | Mickey Joseph | Episode: "Part Two" |
| 2020 | Little Fires Everywhere | Bill Richardson | Miniseries; 7 episodes |
| 2021 | Dr. Death | Dr.Christopher Duntsch | Main role (season 1): 8 episodes |
| 2023 | Fatal Attraction | Dan Gallagher | Lead role; Miniseries |
| 2024-2025 | Doctor Odyssey | Dr. Max Bankman | Main role, also executive producer |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | A Life in the Theatre | John | David Mamet play with Patrick Stewart |
| 2016 | Smart People | Brian | play byLydia R. Diamond atSecond Stage Theater[41] |
| 2017, 2018 | Children of a Lesser God | James Leeds | Berkshire Theatre Festival withKenny Leon Studio 54[42] |
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Young Artist Award | Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture | The Mighty Ducks | Nominated |
| 1999 | Teen Choice Award | Choice TV Actor | Dawson's Creek | Won |
| 2000 | Won | |||
| Choice Liar in a Film | The Skulls | Nominated | ||
| Young Hollywood Award | Male Superstar of Tomorrow | N/a | Won | |
| 2001 | Teen Choice Award | Choice TV Actor | Dawson's Creek | Won |
| 2002 | Nominated | |||
| 2003 | Nominated | |||
| 2005 | Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival | Best Actor | Aurora Borealis | Won |
| 2006 | Hollywood Film Festival | Best Ensemble of the Year | Bobby | Won |
| Satellite Award | Best Actor – Motion Picture | Aurora Borealis | Nominated | |
| 2007 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Bobby | Nominated |
| 2009 | Teen Choice Award | Choice Actor Fantasy/Sci-Fi | Fringe | Nominated |
| 2010 | Genie Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | One Week | Won |
| Teen Choice Award | Choice Actor Fantasy/Sci-Fi | Fringe | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Nominated | |||
| 2012 | Nominated | |||
| 2013 | Saturn Awards | Best Actor on Television | Nominated | |
| 2016 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Premium Cable TV Actor | The Affair | Nominated |
| 2017 | Nominated | |||
| 2018 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Children of a Lesser God | Nominated |
| 2022 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries | Dr. Death | Nominated |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
