Amy Louise Jackson (born 31 January 1991) is a British model and actress, working mainly in the South Indian film industry but also in Hindi language films of Bollywood. She won the Miss Teen World competition in 2009 and then went on to win Miss Liverpool in 2010. She made her acting debut with the 2010 Tamil period-drama Madrasapattinam, and followed it up with her first Bollywood release in 2012, with the romantic drama Ekk Deewana Tha. She starred in a 2013 Telugu film Yevadu alongside Ram Charan and Shruti Haasan.
Early life
Jackson was born in the Isle of Man to English parents, Alan Jackson and Marguerita Jackson. She has an elder sister, Alicia Jackson. The family returned to their parents' home of Woolton, Liverpool, two years after Jackson's birth so that her father, who is BBC Radio Merseyside's producer, could continue his media career. Jackson attended St. Edward's College, gaining ten GCSEs, and then went to sixth form to study English Language, English Literature and Philosophy and Ethics.
2009-10: Modeling
After winning the Miss Teen Liverpool and Miss Teen Great Britain pageants, she won the title of Miss Teen World in 2009. Jackson won eighteen prizes, which included a modeling contract in the US on a $50,000 scholarship.[citation needed] She won Miss Liverpool in 2010. She participated in the Miss England competition in 2010 but lost out to Jessica Linley in the final. Jackson signed a second modelling contract with Boss Model Management and modelled all over Europe.
Acting career
2010-11: Debut in Tamil cinema
In 2009, at the age of 19, Indian film producers spotted Jackson on a modeling agency website and invited her to audition for the Tamil period-drama film Madrasapattinam. Despite having no previous acting experience, she was cast as the female lead opposite Arya. The film, set against the backdrop of 1947 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 released in July 2010 and was acclaimed by critics, and performed well at the box office, eventually becoming the seventh highest grossing Tamil film of the year. After the film was eventually released on 9 July 2010, it was a critical and commercial success, 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 honors 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". She received a nomination for the Vijay Award for Best Debut Actress for her role in the film.
2011-12: Hindi cinema debut
In 2011, she was signed by Gautham Menon to play the female lead opposite Prateik Babbainthe Hindi remake of the 2010 hit romantic drama film Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya. She essayedthe role played by Trisha in the original, Jessie Thekekketu, a Malayali Nasrani Christian whofalls in love with a Hindu boy, but is prevented from pursuing the romance by her father.The filmreleased in February 2012 to mixed to negative reviews, and it underperformed at the box office. However, Jackson received some praise for her performance, and chemistry with Babbar, with BehindWoods stating that "she has done wonders," and the Times of India saying that "she never disappoints." Jackson later said she was disappointed with some of the comments, but was happy with her performance and that it was a South Indian style film and the North Indian audiences did not take to it. Jackson was ranked #7 in the Times of India list of most promising debutantes of 2012.
2012-present: Thaandavam, Telugu debut and upcoming projects
In September 2012, Jackson made her return to Tamil cinema with a supporting role in her third film, Thaandavam, starring opposite Vikram and Anushka Shetty. She was signed for the film in 2011 and shooting took place in India and London, allowing Jackson to return and see her family and friends. It was her second collaboration with director A. L. Vijay, after Madrasapattinam. She played the role of Sarah Vinayagam, a British-born Indian girl who wins the Miss London title. She reportedly dubbed her own dialogues in Tamil. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but opened well at the box office. Jackson's performance was appreciated, with OneIndia stating that she was "charming," and Bollywood Life remarking that she was "at her charming best." She received her first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress - Tamil at the 60th Filmfare Awards South ceremony.
She is set to make her debut in Telugu cinema with the Vamsi Paidipally film Yevadu alongside Ram Charan and Shruti Haasan, playing the role of Shruti. The film's release date has been repeatedly reset, and has now been confirmed as January 12, 2014. She has also been signed to play the female lead opposite Vikram in the Shankar romantic thriller film I and she will play the role of Diya. The film is set to release in April 2014.
Personal life
According to the Daily Mail, Jackson "learnt about Bollywood by watching Shilpa Shetty in the reality show Big Brother". She dated actor Prateik Babbar, her co-star in Ekk Deewana Tha, but the two have now split. She lives in Mumbai, Maharashtra, and has said that she considers India to be her home.
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