Saoirse-Monica Jackson
Saoirse-Monica Jackson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 24 November 1993 Derry, Northern Ireland |
| Education | St Cecilia's College |
| Alma mater | Arden School of Theatre |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Partner(s) | Denis Sulta (2020–present; engaged)[1] |
Saoirse-Monica Jackson (/ˈsɪərʃə/;[2] born 24 November 1993) is a Northern Irish actress. She portrayed Erin Quinn on the Channel 4 Irish sitcom Derry Girls from 2018 to 2022 and Cheryl Crawford in the BBC Liverpool gangster series This City Is Ours (2025).
Early life
Jackson was born in Derry, Northern Ireland, on 24 November 1993.[3] She split her time growing up in Derry and Greencastle, County Donegal, where her parents ran a village pub.[4][5] After obtaining GCSEs and A-levels at St Cecilia's College in Derry,[6] she trained in acting at the Arden School of Theatre in Manchester.[7]
Career
Jackson's television debut came in 2016 when she landed the role of Sasha in Harlan Coben's The Five, appearing in four episodes.[8] In 2016, she also played Curley's wife in the Birmingham Repertory Theatre tour of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men.[9] She appeared briefly in the final episode of 2017 BBC One drama series Broken.[10] In 2018, she portrayed Shena Carney in a West End production of The Ferryman at the Gielgud Theatre.[11]
Jackson made her debut as Erin Quinn in the Channel 4 sitcom Derry Girls in the show's first episode, airing on Channel 4 on 4 January 2018.[11][12][13] Her performance saw her nominated for the IFTA Gala Television Award for Best Female Performance.[14] She portrayed the role for three seasons until the conclusion of the series in May 2022.[15]
She was the overall winner in the 2019 episode of The Great Christmas/Festive Bake Off.[16]
On 26 June 2020, she and her fellow Derry Girls co stars performed a sketch with Saoirse Ronan for the RTÉ fundraising special RTÉ Does Comic Relief. All proceeds from the night went towards those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.[17]
In 2025, she played the role of Cheryl Crawford, wife of Davey Crawford (portrayed by Stephen Walters), in the BBC One Liverpool-based gangster television series, This City Is Ours (2025).[18]
Personal life
Jackson is engaged to Scottish DJ Hector Barbour, known professionally as Denis Sulta.[19] Previously based in London and Germany respectively, the couple reside in Liverpool as of 2024.[20]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Liverpool Ferry | Sarah | Short film |
| 2021 | Finding You | Emma Callaghan | |
| 2022 | Snuff | (unknown) | Short film |
| 2023 | Coffee Wars | Roopa | |
| The Flash | Patty Spivot | ||
| 2024 | Upgraded | Amy |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The Five | Sasha | Mini-series; episodes 2–5 |
| 2017 | Broken | Young Woman | Episode 6: "Father Michael" |
| 2018 | The Crystal Maze | Herself - Contestant | Series 8; episode 5: "The Derry Girls" |
| 2018–2022 | Derry Girls | Erin Quinn | Main character. Series 1–3; 19 episodes |
| 2020 | Urban Myths | Janet | Series 4; episode 4: "F for Fakenham" |
| Unprecedented: Real Time Theatre from a State of Isolation | Mia | Episode 1: "Viral / Penny / Going Forward" | |
| The Great British Bake Off | Herself - Contestant | Series 10; episode 12: "The Great Festive Bake Off" | |
| 2022 | Skint | Tara | Episode 1: "I'd Like to Speak to the Manager"[21] |
| Pointless Celebrities | Herself - Contestant | Series 14; episode 18: "Sitcoms" | |
| The Doll Factory | Bluebell | Main role. Episodes 1, 2 & 6[22] | |
| 2023 | World's Most Dangerous Roads | Herself | Series 4; episode 6: "Romania" (with Jamie-Lee O'Donnell) |
| 2024 | The Decameron | Misia | Episodes 1–8 |
| 2025 | This City Is Ours | Cheryl Crawford | Episodes 1–8[23] |
| The Trial | Inquisitor Sarah Willis | Lead role. Television film[24] |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Theatre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Of Mice and Men | Curley’s Wife | Birmingham Repertory Theatre |
| 2017–2018 | The Ferryman | Shena Carney | Gielgud Theatre (West End) |
| 2025 | Irishtown | Síofra | Irish Repertory Theatre (Off-Broadway) |
References
- ^ McGovern, Eimar (1 February 2024). "Derry Girls' Jackson announces engagement while co-star reveals how series 'saved' him". Belfast Telegraph.
- ^ 25 years: Derry Girls star Saoirse-Monica Jackson takes us on a tour of her home city, October 2019, retrieved 30 January 2024
- ^ "Derry Girls cast in real life: See Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Nicola Coughlan & Jamie-Lee O'Donnell out of character". HELLO!. 26 March 2019.
- ^ "Greencastle girl Saoirse Monica Jackson". www.inishowennews.com.
- ^ Arboine, Niellah (12 March 2019). "Who Is Saoirse-Monica Jackson? The 'Derry Girls' Lead Actress Captures Cringey Teenage Angst SO Perfectly". Bustle.
- ^ "Donegal teacher's pride as her 'Derry Girls' shine". 18 January 2018.
- ^ Moran, Hannah (20 January 2018). "Here is everything you need to know about the Derry Girls cast". EVOKE.ie.
- ^ "Saoirse-Monica Jackson". IMDb.
- ^ "Of Mice and Men ~ Birmingham Repertory Theatre". 12 February 2016.
- ^ "Broken" – via www.imdb.com.
- ^ a b Williams, Holly (17 March 2019). "Derry Girl Saoirse-Monica Jackson: 'Yes, we have a harsh sense of humour'". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ "Derry Girls: Series 1" – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
- ^ "Derry Girls: Series 2" – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
- ^ "IFTA Gala TV Awards Nominees 2018". www.ifta.ie.
- ^ "When is Derry Girls series 2 on TV?". Radio Times.
- ^ "The Great Festive Bake Off line-up: the Derry Girls cast members appearing on the show, and what time it's on Channel 4". i. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
- ^ "Derry Girls cast fangirl over Ronan in hilarious sketch". rte.ie. 26 June 2020.
- ^ "First look at Saoirse-Monica Jackson in BBC drama "This City is Ours"". irishcentral.com. 30 January 2025.
- ^ Barter, Pavel (28 July 2024). "Saoirse-Monica Jackson: 'These are the tricky bits of being an actor'". The Times. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ Saunders, Lawrence (17 July 2024). "Saoirse-Monica Jackson interview: Derry Girls star on life in Liverpool & new Netflix series". YM Liverpool. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ "Skint review – a vivid, unflinching examination of modern poverty". The Guardian. 20 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
- ^ Szalai, Georg (9 November 2022). "Paramount+ Unveils Cast for U.K. Original 'The Doll Factory'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
- ^ Goldbart, Max (28 May 2024). "Sean Bean To Play Gang Leader In BBC Drama Series 'This City Is Ours' From 'The Crown' Producer Left Bank". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ Rowan, Iona (6 May 2025). "Chilling new UK drama with adored cast of actors sets release date with tense first-look trailer". Digital Spy. Retrieved 7 May 2025.