O'Shea Jackson Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
O'Shea Jackson Jr.
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Jackson at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con
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| Born | February 24, 1991 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Other names | OMG |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2009–present |
| Children | 1 |
| Parent(s) |
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| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Labels | Lench Mob |
O'Shea Jackson Jr. (born February 24, 1991) is an American actor, rapper, and songwriter. He is also known by his stage name, OMG. He is the oldest son of the famous rapper and actor Ice Cube. O'Shea Jackson Jr. made his first big movie appearance playing his own father in the 2015 film Straight Outta Compton.
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Early Life and Family
O'Shea Jackson Jr. was born in Los Angeles, California. His parents are O'Shea Jackson Sr., who you might know as Ice Cube, and Kimberly Woodruff. He grew up in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles.
O'Shea Jr. is the second of four children in his family. He has two brothers, Darrell and Shareef, and a sister named Kareema. His brother Darrell is also a rapper, using the name Doughboy. This name is a nod to a character his dad played in his first movie, Boyz n the Hood.
O'Shea Jr. went to William Howard Taft High School in Woodland Hills, California. He graduated in 2009, just like his father did years before him. After high school, he studied screenwriting at the University of Southern California.
His Acting Career
O'Shea Jackson Jr. has become a well-known actor. He has starred in many different types of movies and TV shows.
First Big Role: Playing His Dad!
In June 2014, it was announced that O'Shea Jackson Jr. would play his father, Ice Cube, in the movie Straight Outta Compton. This film tells the true story of the hip hop group N.W.A, which his father was a part of.
The movie came out on August 14, 2015, and people really liked it. Many noticed how much O'Shea Jr. looked like his dad. Ice Cube himself said that his son was "spot-on" and "born to play the part."
Other Cool Movies
In 2017, O'Shea Jackson Jr. played Dan Pinto in the movie Ingrid Goes West. Dan was a screenwriter who loved Batman. Critics praised O'Shea Jr.'s performance, saying he was great in his scenes.
The next year, in 2018, he appeared in the film Den of Thieves alongside actors like 50 Cent and Gerard Butler.
In May 2019, he had roles in two more movies. He played Lance, the best friend of Seth Rogen's character, in the romantic comedy Long Shot. He also appeared in Godzilla: King of the Monsters as Barnes, the leader of a special military group called the G-Team.
Later in 2019, O'Shea Jackson Jr. starred in the drama Just Mercy. In this film, he played Anthony Ray Hinton, a real person who was wrongly put in prison for 30 years.
His Music Journey
Besides acting, O'Shea Jackson Jr. is also a talented rapper and songwriter.
In 2010, he and his brother Darrell were featured on two songs from their father's album, I Am the West. The songs were "She Couldn't Make It On Her Own" and "Y'all Know How I Am."
In March 2012, O'Shea Jackson Jr. released his first mixtape online. He used his stage name, OMG, for this project called Jackin' for Beats. A music magazine called Vibe said that his mixtape showed a "promising start" for the young artist.
He told XXL Magazine that people say he sounds like OMG, not like other artists. This means he has his own unique style.
In 2015, he appeared in music videos for other artists. He was in Pia Mia's video for "Touch" and in the video for "Out of Love" by the hip hop duo Twenty88.
On the Small Screen
O'Shea Jackson Jr. has also appeared in several television shows.
On October 4, 2019, he made a special guest appearance on the very first episode of WWE Smackdown on Fox.
He starred with Dave Franco in a comedy series called The Now. This show was first planned for Quibi, but it was later released on The Roku Channel in December 2021.
In 2021, he played Ike Edwards in the basketball drama series Swagger. Ike is a former basketball star who coaches a young, talented team. The show started streaming on Apple TV+ in October 2021.
More recently, he played Kawlan Roken in the Disney+ Star Wars series, Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Beyond the Spotlight
O'Shea Jackson Jr. has a daughter named Jordan Reign Jackson, who was born in August 2017.
He enjoys many hobbies, including professional wrestling, and he is a big fan of sports teams like the Los Angeles Kings (hockey) and the Los Angeles Rams (football). He also likes anime and Pokémon.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Janky Promoters | DJ Dolla | Uncredited |
| 2015 | Straight Outta Compton | Ice Cube | |
| 2017 | Ingrid Goes West | Daniel "Dan" Pinto | |
| 2018 | Den of Thieves | Donnie Wilson | |
| 2019 | Long Shot | Lance | |
| Godzilla: King of the Monsters | Chief Warrant Officer Jackson Barnes | ||
| Just Mercy | Anthony Ray Hinton | ||
| 2023 | ... Bear | Daveed | |
| 2025 | Den of Thieves 2: Pantera | Donnie Wilson |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | ... History | DJ Kool Herc | 1 episode |
| 2021 | The Premise | Cooper | 1 episode |
| 2021 | The Now | Coop | Miniseries, 9 episodes |
| 2021–2023 | Swagger | Ike | Main role, 18 episodes |
| 2022 | Obi-Wan Kenobi | Kawlan Roken | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
Discography
| Year | Title | type | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Jackin' for Beats | Mixtape | |
| 2014 | "OMG" | Single | produced by Foreign Allegiance |
| 2015 | "Ain't No Place" | Single | produced by Foreign Allegiance |
- Guest appearances
| Year | Song | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "She Couldn't Make It On Her Own" | Ice Cube (feat. OMG & Doughboy) | I Am the West |
| "Y'all Know How I Am" | Ice Cube (feat. OMG, Doughboy, WC & Young Maylay) |
See also
In Spanish: O'Shea Jackson Jr. para niños
