Jasmine Jobson (born 9 May 1995) is an English actress best known for starring as Jaq in the 2019 Netflix British television crime drama series Top Boy, for which she was nominated for a BAFTA, and for playing Lily in feature film Surge, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.
Jasmine Jobson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jasmine Jobson (1995-05-09) 9 May 1995 (age 27)[1][2] London, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2013–present |
Jasmine Jobson was born 9 May 1995[1][2] in Hayes, West London, England. Her mum is of Irish and Greek-Cypriot heritage, her dad is Jamaican.[3] From a very young age (around 6), Jobson showed talent singing by mimicking television stars, so her mother enrolled her to ‘Paddington Arts’,[3] a Youth Arts organisation dedicated to developing talent andcreativity in London’s young people,[4] where Jobson honed her talents.[3] As a child Jobson had asked to be separated from her mother by social services and placed into foster care, living in West Drayton for five years.[3] The results prevailed In adulthood though, Jobson taught herself how to channel that aggression and emotions into her acting.[5] When asked by the casting director for Top Boy to show some anger in her audition, Jobson threw a chair across the room, nearly hitting a window, securing her the role in the production.[6]
Jobson joined the Big House Theatre[5] which provides drama-based workshops and training on team building, challenges management and confidence development and focuses on helping young people who have been through the UK’s care system.[7] Maggie Norris, chief executive of Big House, described Jobson as an extraordinary talent.[5]
Jobson began her acting career in theatre, performing in plays such as Phoenix: A Girl on Fire and Wild Diamonds[8] at the Hackney Down Studios in 2013.[9] From 2014, Jobson performed in several short films Flea, A Generation of Vipers, and The King, before debuting on television in 2016 as Kia Hopkins in a single episode of Suspects (TV series). [8] Since then she has made minor appearances in The Break (TV series) , Five by Five and Dark Heart (TV series) as Sally Watkins,[8] before landing a main character role in the 2019 Netflix British television crime drama series Top Boy. [10] In 2019, Jobson was nominated for and won the Best emerging talent at the Movie and Video Awards (MVISA).[11][12]
In 2020, Jobson starred as Lily in feature film Surge, which premiered in January 2020 at the Sundance Film Festival in Salt Lake City. [13] Jobson purported to be comfortable in an airport environment, the setting for Surge, as she once worked as a bartender in Wetherspoons at Heathrow's Terminal 2.[6]
In 2020, Jobson was nominated for British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actress[14]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | A Generation of Vipers (Short) | Mae |
| 2014 | Flea (Short) | Naz |
| 2016 | The King (Short) | Tanisha |
| 2018 | Collection Only (Short) | Aliyah |
| 2018 | Carly (Short) | Helen |
| 2018 | Obey | Little M |
| 2018 | Little Shit (Short) | Jasmine |
| 2019 | Lie Low | Michelle |
| 2020 | Good Thanks, You? | Amy |
| 2020 | Surge | Lily |
| 2020 | Clearing (Short) | Kaila |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The Break | Match Girl | 1 episode |
| 2016 | Suspects | Kia Hopkins | 1 episode - The Enemy Within: Part 3 |
| 2017 | Five by Five | Jigga | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Dark Heart | Sally Watkins | Episode 1.1 |
| 2019-2022 | Top Boy | Jaq | 11 episodes |
| 2022 | Noughts + Crosses | Cara | Series 2 |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Movie & Video Screen Awards (MVISA) | Best emerging talent | Career contribution so far | Won | [11][12] |
| 2020 | 2020 British Academy Television Awards | British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actress | Jaq in Top Boy | Nominated | [14] |