Skai Jackson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Skai Jackson
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Jackson in 2018
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| Born | April 8, 2002 New York City, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2007–present |
Skai Jackson (born April 8, 2002) is a talented American actress. She is famous for playing Zuri Ross in the Disney Channel show Jessie from 2011 to 2015. She also starred in its spin-off series Bunk'd from 2015 to 2018.
In 2016, Time magazine named Skai Jackson one of the "Most Influential Teens." She was also nominated for Best Influencer at the Shorty Awards in 2017. Skai started acting when she was very young. She has also done voice acting for shows like DreamWorks Dragons: Rescue Riders. In 2019, she released her book, Reach for the Skai: How to Inspire, Empower, and Clapback. She also competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2020.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Skai Jackson was born in Staten Island, a part of New York City. Her family background includes Afro-Honduran and African-American heritage.
She started her career as a child model when she was very young. You might have seen her in commercials for popular brands. These included Band-Aid, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Old Navy.
Skai Jackson's Acting Career
Skai Jackson's first big acting role was in the 2007 independent film Liberty Kid. After that, she appeared in an episode of Rescue Me in 2008. In 2009, she had a small part in the movie The Rebound. She also became the voice of Little Fish in the Nickelodeon cartoon Bubble Guppies.
She then had small roles in TV shows like Team Umizoomi, Royal Pains, and Boardwalk Empire. She also appeared in the 2011 movies Arthur and The Smurfs.
Becoming Zuri Ross
In 2011, Skai Jackson got the role of Zuri Ross in the Disney Channel show Jessie. This show was very popular and ran for four seasons until 2015. Her role as Zuri earned her an NAACP Image Award nomination.
In 2013, she played Joetta Watson in the Hallmark Channel TV movie The Watsons Go To Birmingham. The next year, in 2014, she was a guest voice in the Disney XD cartoon Ultimate Spider-Man. From 2015 to 2018, she continued playing Zuri in the spin-off series Bunk'd.
Voice Acting and Other Projects
In 2018, Skai Jackson voiced Glory Grant in Marvel Rising: Initiation. She continued this role in other Marvel Rising animated specials. In 2019, she appeared in the music video for Lil Nas X's song "Panini." The video became very popular online.
Also in 2019, Skai published her first book, Reach for the Skai: How to Inspire, Empower, and Clapback. She also started voicing the character Summer in the Netflix animated series DreamWorks Dragons: Rescue Riders. This show ended in 2020.
In 2020, Skai Jackson joined the 29th season of Dancing with the Stars. She danced with professional partner Alan Bersten. They made it to the semi-finals of the competition. In 2023, Skai appeared in the action film Sheroes. This was her first major movie role in ten years.
Other Ventures
In March 2024, Skai Jackson became a brand ambassador for Cantu Beauty. This means she helps promote their products.
Personal Life
Skai Jackson has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD.
Filmography
Film Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Liberty Kid | Young Destiny | Independent film |
| 2008 | Rescue Me | Little Girl | Short film |
| 2009 | The Rebound | Museum Little Girl #1 | |
| 2011 | Arthur | Little Girl | |
| The Smurfs | Kicking Girl | ||
| 2013 | G.I. Joe: Retaliation | Roadblock's daughter | |
| 2014 | My Dad's a Soccer Mom | Lacy Casey | |
| 2023 | Big Boss | Young Keke Palmer | Short film |
| 2023 | Sheroes | Daisy | |
| 2023 | The Man in the White Van | Patty |
Television Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Sesame Street | Herself | |
| 2010 | Team Umizoomi | Kayla | Voice role; episode: "The Rolling Toy Parade" |
| Royal Pains | Maddie Phillips | Episode: "Big Whoop" | |
| 2010–2012 | Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil | Madison | Recurring voice role |
| 2011 | Boardwalk Empire | Aneisha | Episode: "What Does the Bee Do?" |
| 2011–2013 | Bubble Guppies | Little Fish | Main voice role |
| 2011–2015 | Jessie | Zuri Ross | Main role |
| 2012 | Austin & Ally | Episode: "Austin & Jessie & Ally All Star New Year" | |
| 2012–2014 | Dora the Explorer | Isa the Iguana | Recurring voice role |
| 2013 | Good Luck Charlie | Zuri Ross | Episode: "Good Luck Jessie: NYC Christmas" |
| The Watsons Go to Birmingham | Joetta Watson | Television film | |
| 2014 | Ultimate Spider-Man | Zuri Ross | Voice role; episode: "Halloween Night at the Museum" |
| 2015–2018 | Bunk'd | Main role | |
| 2015 | K.C. Undercover | Episode: "All Howl's Eve" | |
| 2018 | Culture Clash | Aisha | Television film |
| 2018 | Marvel Rising: Initiation | Glory Grant | Voice role; episodes: "Floor Toms and Spider Webs", "Ghost Hunter" |
| 2019 | Marvel Rising: Chasing Ghosts | Voice role | |
| Marvel Rising: Battle of the Bands | |||
| 2019–2022 | DreamWorks Dragons: Rescue Riders | Summer | |
| 2019 | Marvel Rising: Operation Shuri | Glory Grant | |
| 2020 | Dancing with the Stars | Herself | Contestant with Alan Bersten; eliminated 10th |
| 2021 | A Black Lady Sketch Show | Ceecee | Episode: "If I'm Paying These Chili's Prices, You Cannot Taste My Steak!" |
| 2021 | Muppets Haunted Mansion | Singing Bust | Disney+ |
Music Videos
- "Panini" (2019), by Lil Nas X
Awards and Nominations
| Award | Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAACP Image Awards | 2016 | Outstanding Performance by a Youth - Series, Special, Television Movie or Mini-series | Jessie | Nominated | |
| Shorty Awards | 2017 | Best Influencer and Celebrity | Herself | Nominated | |
| Young Entertainer Awards | 2018 | Best Young Ensemble in a Television Series | Bunk'd | Won |
See also
In Spanish: Skai Jackson para niños
