Date of Birth

14 December 1984, Singapore City, Singapore

Birth Name

Monroe Jackson Rathbone V

Nickname

Jay
Ratty
Rathy

Height

5' 10" (1.78 m)

Mini Biography

Internationally recognized for his breakout role as Jasper Hale in The Twilight Saga (2008-2012) Jackson Rathbone was born to American parents living in the Republic of Singapore. Growing up internationally, Jackson spent his adolescent years living in Tananger, Norway and Midland, Texas. After graduating high school from the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting and music.

As an actor, Jackson has appeared in over twenty motion pictures, including two international franchises, and appeared in multiple television shows as leads, guest stars, and in recurring roles.

Jackson has produced several indie films (such as Gotham award winning "Girlfriend"), as well as Warner Brothers backed webseries ("Aim High"). In 2015, Jackson wrote, directed, and starred in the webseries Couch Surfing, USA (Marseille Web Fest official selection, Vancouver Web Fest WINNER Best Comedy).

As a musician and songwriter, Jackson has released multiple albums with his international touring band 100 Monkeys. Jackson is also a multi-instrumentalist and has released many songs under his name where he writes, sings, and plays every instrument (guitar, piano, bass, drums, harmonica, ukulele, and banjo).

Currently, Jackson resides in Los Angeles, CA and would very much like to work with Roy Andersson (You, the Living, Songs from the Second Floor, A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence).

Trivia

• Graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, Michigan.
• Grew up in Midland, Texas.
• Some of his hobbies include playing the guitar, writing poetry and producing music.
• Is close friends with Interlochen buds, Ben Graupner and Ben Johnson.
• Favorite actors are Robert Downey Jr., Clint Eastwood, Katharine Hepburn, River Phoenix, and Christopher Walken.
• Was a member of the independent funk rock band, 100 Monkeys from 2008 until his departure in the winter of 2012.
• Close friends with Twilight co-stars Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz and Nikki Reed.
• Before they appeared together in Twilight (2008), Jackson, Cam Gigandet and Nikki Reed had guest starring roles in an episode of the popular teen drama, The O.C. (2003) during the show's third season.
• Played with his former band, 100 Monkeys, at the opening reception for his sister Kelly's art exhibit in Dallas, Texas in May of 2009.
• Relative of Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson, Confederate General from West Virginia.
• His older sister Kelly is an internationally-renowned ceramic artist and sculptor.
• Is one of four children. He has two older sisters, Kelly and Ryann and one younger sister, Brittney.
• He is colorblind.
• On 6 February 2012, it was announced that he was expecting his first child with girlfriend, former burlesque dancer, Sheila Hafsadi. The two met in Florida in the summer of 2011.
• Had his tongue pierced from the time he was age 18 until he was age 20.
• Became a father for the 1st time at age 27 when his girlfriend (now wife) Sheila Hafsadi gave birth to their son Monroe Jackson Rathbone VI on July 5, 2012.
• His first kiss was at age 13 while seeing Titanic (1997) at the movies.
• Dyed his hair blonde for his role as Jasper Hale in the Twilight (2008) saga. His natural hair color is brown.
• Has a tattoo of a ketchup bottle because: "I love ketchup," he explains. "I got a lot of flack for it growing up from my family. My dad would always say 'You want a little burger with that ketchup?' I hate that joke.".
• He has German, English, and smaller amounts (to varying degrees) of French, Scottish, Scots-Irish (Northern Irish), Irish, Dutch, and Spanish, ancestry. Several of his family lines have been in Louisiana for many generations.
• Became a father for the 2nd time at age 31 when his wife Sheila Hafsadi gave birth to their daughter Presley Bowie Rathbone on May 31, 2016.
• Is a descendant of Richard Rich, who was Lord Chancellor under King Henry VIII, and is also a descendant of Nicholas Hebert, who was the apothecary to Catherine De Medici, the Queen of France.
• Became a father for the 3rd time at age 35 when his wife Sheila Hafsadi gave birth to their son Felix Valleau Rathbone on December 31, 2019.

Trademarks:

• Wears a variety of different types of hats
  

Quotes

• Lust tastes like tequila and love tastes like whiskey...Love burns for longer and warms you up on the inside and sometimes it makes you do stupid things. Tequila just makes you wasted.