John M. Jackson
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John M. Jackson | |
Birth name | Jonathan Jackson |
Born | June 1, 1950 (age 56) Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States |
John M. Jackson (born June 1, 1950 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is an American actor, best known for his role on the CBS series JAG.
[edit] Career
Jackson played Rear Admiral Albert Jethro 'A.J.' Chegwidden, Judge Advocate General of the United States Navy, who retired in 2005.
He currently plays FBI Deputy Director Sam Cullen, a recurring character on the Fox series Bones.
Jackson was born in Louisiana but raised in Austin, Texas. He played football in high school, and was a walk-on player for the University of Texas Longhorns before an injury sidelined him for good. After college, he returned to Austin to teach social studies at Lyndon B. Johnson High School.
He started acting in his late 20s, at a community theater. In 1980, Jackson went to New York City, and later to Hollywood to further his acting career. He landed small roles in a number of television and motion picture productions, most notably a recurring role in the series Wiseguy. In 1996, he took on the Chegwidden role, and played on JAG for eight seasons.
Jackson is very protective of information about his family life, but it is known that he is married (Jana, not to be confused with the gospel music singer by the same name), and that their son, Conor, plays first base for Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks.
[edit] Trivia
- Jackson is believed to be one of the last people to meet President John F. Kennedy before his assassination on November 22, 1963. Jackson was a high school journalism student who met Kennedy in Fort Worth.
- The initial "M" doesn't stand for anything. John was forced to use an initial for his professional name because there was already a "John Jackson" registered with the Screen Actors Guild when he joined the union. SAG rules prohibit two or more members from using the same name. (Another actor by the name of John E. Jackson is sometimes confused with John M. Jackson; both use middle initials for the same reason.)