Jackson Rathbone

Monroe Jackson Rathbone V was born in Singapore on December 14, 1984, the son of American parents Randee Lynn and Monroe Jackson Rathbone IV. Due to his father’s work with Mobil Oil, JR, as he is sometimes known, lived in various international locations such as Singapore, Norway, and Indonesia before his family settled in Midland, Texas. He attended Trinity School of Midland and participated in local theater. For his junior and senior high school years, Rathbone pursued acting at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. Following his graduation, he moved to Los Angeles to begin his acting career.

Rathbone’s career began with roles in ‘Disney 411’ and guest appearances on television series such as ‘The O.C.’ and ‘Close to Home’. In 2005, he secured a leading role as Nicholas Fiske in the ABC Family series ‘Beautiful People’. His breakthrough came in 2008 with the role of Jasper Hale in ‘Twilight’, a role he reprised throughout ‘The Twilight Saga’ film series. In 2010, he played Sokka in ‘The Last Airbender’. Rathbone has also been involved in independent films such as ‘Do Not Reply’ and ‘The Wall of Mexico’.

Beyond acting, Rathbone is a musician. He was the vocalist and multi-instrumentalist for the funk rock band 100 Monkeys, which released three albums and toured extensively both nationally and internationally. He also co-produced and starred in the digital series ‘Aim High’. In addition, Rathbone has engaged in charitable work, serving as an honorary board member for Little Kids Rock, an organization dedicated to music education.