Gliot 1
Lauren Gliot
23 March, 2014
Ms. Gliot
Persuasive Essay
Joshua Jackson: A True Jack of All Trades
“There are currently 7,211,927,070 people in the world today” (World 1). Of those approximately seven billion people, Joshua Jackson is the most influential person of modern history. He does not forget where he came from, he has been a diversified actor for over 20 years, and he admits his mistakes and atones for them. “Joshua is a very good actor. He's a very solid, very determined young man" (Estevez 6).
Joshua Carter Jackson was born June 11, 1978 in Vancouver, British Columbia. His childhood was marked by divorce and many moves. Despite the divorce, family has always been very important to Joshua. “My parents getting divorced was obviously a very traumatic experience. And then after, it was just me, my sister and my mother, and we went at it alone. I went from being a very well-off little kid to having a couple rough years, to rebuilding, my mother did that. She and I are very close” (Jackson 3).Shortly, after the divorce, he moved with his mother and sister from Los Angeles to Seattle. After a short time, they moved back to Vancouver.
Despite relocating several times for his career, Joshua still identifies with his birth place of Vancouver. “I love Vancouver. I can be with my family, I can reconnect with the guys. It will always be my home” (Jackson 1).He is an avid fan of the Vancouver Canucks. He currently owns a home in Vancouver, and he has filmed many movies near Vancouver. His birthplace also instilled in him a love of hockey. He has been playing since he was young, and was able to use his hockey skills to gain one of his most momentous roles: Charlie in The Mighty Ducks Trilogy. In his downtime filming Dawson’s Creek in Wilmington, North Carolina, he even took a trip to Raleigh to see a Carolina Hurricanes game.
When asked about his success, he often attributes it to the support of his family. His mother is a casting director who often brought Joshua on set. “My mother worked in the film industry for 20 years before I ever started... so I had the benefit of having her experience. She taught me how it was to be on and around sets and respect the others most of the time" (Jackson 5). He landed his first role as an infant in The Changeling (A movie on which his mother was the second unit director). At age 11, Joshua committed himself to becoming an actor. Although Joshua was set on becoming an actor, his mother actually tried to discourage him based on her experience in the business. She took him to an audition for a Keebler Potato Chips advertisement to show him how harsh the business can be, and to be able to console him after he was denied the role. To her surprise, he was instantly hired for the part. After he landed the part, his mother began to fully support his dream as a serious career option.
While following his dream to become an actor, he always set money aside to help his younger sister have all of the opportunities that living with a single mom may have denied her. "My proudest moment? Probably paying for my sister to go to a good school. One of the best days I've had in years was when she graduated high school. There's just the three of us - my sister, my mother and myself - and it was beautiful to watch her walk across and receive her diploma. That was my proudest day" (Jackson 6). For all of their help and support, Joshua only expects one form of repayment… styling tips. Although he has a personal stylist as well as production stylists, he still trusts his mother’s and sister’s fashion sense above everyone else. "Most people call my style of dress slovenly, I call it extreme casual. If I didn't have a mother and a sister for the times I do have to get dressed, I would be absolutely lost" (Jackson 2).
With the support of his family, Joshua has been able to diversify his acting portfolio without fear of failure. He has taken on over 32 film roles, Broadway, advertisements, and TV. His most acclaimed roles are Charlie in the Mighty Ducks Series, Pacey on Dawson’s Creek, and most recently, Peter Bishop on Fringe. He has won several Teen Choice Awards and has been nominated for a Screen Actor’s Guild Award.
At age 36, he has built an acting portfolio that is so eclectic that it has gained him recognition amongst his acting peers. Katie Holmes still tells reporters that Joshua Jackson was her first love. "Josh is a very good actor and a great friend. I respect and love him very much. We even have sort of a 'Dawson-Joey' type of relationship, so I'm very fortunate," says Holmes (Holmes 12). He often gets compared to other world-renowned actors, “I think he has a sort of Tom Hanks/George Clooney-esque quality. He gets more and more charming by the day,” says Kevin Williamson, Director of Dawson’s Creek. (Williamson 7).
Not only does Joshua take the time to establish his place as a celebrity by starring in large scale TV series and Films, but also takes the time to star in Indie films that have circulated the film festival circuit. His most recent indie film, One Week, took him back to Canada. The film explored what one man would do if he only had one week to live. The film became known on the film festival circuit for being a "…unabashedly, unapologetically and proudly Canadian [film], from Leafs references to Sudbury's giant nickel, but for once, that's a great thing! " (Hooper 2). Although Joshua has gained a diversified film portfolio, he never is able to stay away from his home long.
Despite his many achievements, he has also made mistakes along the way. While filming Dawson’s’ Creek, he was arrested with a crew member for assaulting a security guard at a Carolina Hurricanes game in Raleigh. The police took him to a local hospital for blood alcohol testing, which confirmed that he had been drinking at the time of the incident. Those were worked closely with Joshua were surprised by this incident and immediately spoke on his behalf. "I'm shocked to hear this," said Cooke-Leonard, who now works in Los Angeles. "I have nothing but great things to say about him" (Arrested 20).
Even though Joshua had immense support from coworkers, friends, and family, he did not use his fame to get him out of trouble. Once released from jail, he showed up to court promptly, apologized for his actions, and graciously accepted the consequences for his actions. He attended an alcohol rehabilitation program and participated in twenty-four hours of community service. Although the charges were officially dropped, Joshua still has to deal with the stigma of this mistake on his public image today.
When Joshua went to meet his current girlfriend’s, Diane Kruger, mother. His arrest came back to haunt him. Her mother had researched Joshua to determine if he was worthy of her daughter. Diane instructed Joshua on German traditions beforehand to leave a favorable impression on her mother, and he went as far as eating a cake with nuts even though he was allergic. Even though he made these sacrifices, Diane’s mother still did not approve of Joshua’s arrest when she researched his past. This caused a lot of turmoil between the young couple and almost led to them breaking up. Although they may be engaged soon, Joshua still has to prove to her mother that he is worthy to marry her daughter.
Although Joshua has worked hard and faced many obstacles to become an actor, he is still unsure if that is what he wants to do with the rest of his life.
My personal life is much more important to me than my professional life and my self-worth isn't based on whether or not I act. I love acting but I'm also looking into the great wide open at this as-yet-unpainted mural that will be my life. Whether or not it involves the movie business I'm not sure. I'm much more interested in becoming a good man than in becoming a good actor (Jackson 3).
From a very young age, Joshua Jackson has proven that he is an influential man in modern history. He stays in touch with his family and background, he has sought out a diversified acting profile, and he has sought redemption for past mistakes. Throughout his 36 years, Joshua Jackson has proven time and again that he is truly “a Jack of all Trades”.
Works Cited
"Diane Kruger's Mother Questioned Joshua Jackson About His Mugshot." Yahoo Movies. Yahoo, 10 July 2013. Web. 08 Feb. 2014. <
Johnson, Lisa. "Joshua Jackson Network." Joshua Jackson Network. IFilmAliance.com, 30 Aug. 2006. Web. 08 Feb. 2014. <
"Joshua Jackson." IMDb. IMDb.com, 1990. Web. 08 Feb. 2014. <
Mandi. "Joshua Jackson Network." Joshua Jackson Network • His Career • Quotes About Josh. Got Media, n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2014. <
"Mongrel Media - DVD - Info." Mongrel Media - DVD - Info. Mongrel Media, 2008. Web. 08 Feb. 2014. <
Smith, Emily. The Joshua Jackson Handbook. N.p.: Tebbo, 2012. Print.
Spaner, David. "Vancouver Child Star." Vancouver Province 30 July 2006: n. pag. Joshua Jackson Network. Joshua Jackson Network. Web. 08 Feb. 2014. <
"World Population Clock: 7 Billion People (2014) - Worldometers." World Population Clock: 7 Billion People (2014) - Worldometers. World O Meter, 08 Feb. 2014. Web. 06 Feb. 2014. <