Jacqueline Fernandez (born 11 August 1985) is a Bahraini-Sri Lankan actress, former model, and the winner of the 2006 Miss Universe Sri Lanka pageant. As Miss Universe Sri Lanka she represented her country at the 2006 world Miss Universe pageant. She graduated with a degree in mass communication from the University of Sydney, and worked as a television reporter in Sri Lanka. While on a modelling assignment in India in 2009, Fernandez successfully auditioned for Sujoy Ghosh's fantasy drama Aladin, which marked her acting debut. Fernandez' breakthrough role was in Mohit Suri's psychological thriller Murder 2 (2011), her first commercial success. This was followed by glamorous roles in the ensemble-comedy Housefull 2 (2012), and the action thriller Race 2 (2013), both of which were box-office successes. Her performance in the former garnered her an IIFA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. In 2014, Fernandez played the leading lady in Sajid Nadiadwala's Kick, which is one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of all time. One of the most popular actresses in India, she was the recipient of the IIFA Award for Star Debut of the Year – Female in 2010. Alongside her screen acting career, Fernandez has participated in stage shows, and is active in humanitarian work.
Born
11 August 1985 (age 30)Manama, Bahrain
Occupation
Actress
Years active
2009–present
Nationality
Sri Lankan
Early life and modeling career Fernandez was born on 11 August 1985, in Manama, Bahrain,and was raised in a multi-ethnic family. Her father Elroy is of Sri Lankan, and her mother Kim of Malaysian descent. Her grandfather, on her mother's side of the family, is Canadian and her great grandparents were from Goa, India. Her father, who was a musician in Sri Lanka, moved to Bahrain in the 1980s to escape civil unrest between the Tamils and Sinhalese and subsequently met her mother who was an air hostess. She is the youngest of four children with one elder sister and two elder brothers. She hosted television shows in Bahrain at the age of fourteen. After receiving her early education in Bahrain, she pursued a degree in mass communication from the University of Sydney in Australia. After graduating she worked as a television reporter in Sri Lanka. She also attended the Berlitz school of languages, where she learnt Spanish and improved her French and Arabic. According to Fernandez, she had aspired to become an actress at a young age and fantasized about becoming a Hollywood movie star. She received some training at the John School of Acting. Although, she was a television reporter,
she accepted offers in the modeling industry, which came as a result of her pageant success. In 2006, she was crowned the winner of the Miss Universe Sri Lanka pageant and represented Sri Lanka at the world Miss Universe 2006 pageant held in Los Angeles. In a 2015 interview, Fernandez described the modeling industry as "a good training ground" and said: "It is a medium that is about shedding your inhibitions, knowing your body, confidence". In 2006, she appeared in a music video for the song "O Sathi" by music duo Bathiya and Santhush.
Personal life Fernandez shares a close bond with her family, and admits to missing being around them. She says: "I miss them so much everyday. You don't realise when you live away from home how difficult life can be [...] At the same time, staying away from them has taught me to be more responsible. It has taught me so many things about myself, about priorities and time management." In March 2012, Fernandez turned vegetarian for a 40-day period to observe Lent, a period from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday. In 2008, Fernandez started dating Bahraini prince Hassan bin Rashid Al Khalifa, whom she met at a mutual friend's party ; they separated in 2011. While filming Housefull 2 in 2011, Fernandez began a romantic relationship with director Sajid Khan. The relationship attracted media coverage in India and there was speculation of an impending wedding. However, the relationship ended in May 2013. In addition to acting in films, Fernandez has supported charitable organisations and a number of causes. In 2011, on the behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), she sent a letter to the Mumbai Municipal Commissioner asking for an end to horse-drawn carriage rides in Mumbai. In early 2013, she asked the consulate general of the Philippines, William John T Perera in Colombo, to hasten the transfer of an elephant from its inadequate housing at the Manila Zoo to a humane sanctuary. Later that year, she auctioned a breakfast in Mayfair, London, where she raised around £4000 for the Pratham NGO, which helps children's primary education. In 2014, Fernandez was named "Woman Of The Year" by PETA (India) for advocating the protection of animals. The following year, she auctioned her outfits on an online portal for a philanthropic cause. Some of her outfits included the ones she wore in the song "Party On My Mind" (from Race 2) and "Hangover" (from Kick). Fernandez has participated in several concert tours and televised award ceremonies. In 2013, she performed at the Temptations Reloaded in Auckland, Perth, and Sydney alongside Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, and Madhuri Dixit. She also performed at the live talent show "Got Talent World Stage Live" with Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Varun Dhawan the following year. In July 2014, Fernandez opened a restaurant in Colombo, Kaema Sutra, in collaboration with chef Dharshan Munidasa, which specialises in contemporary Sri Lankan cuisine.