Jacqueline Fernandez

Jacqueline Genevieve Fernandez is a Sri Lankan actress primarily active in Indian Hindi cinema. Born on 11 August 1985 in Bahrain, she pursued higher education in Australia before working as a television reporter in Sri Lanka and transitioning into modelling. After winning the Miss Universe Sri Lanka title in 2006, she represented her country at the Miss Universe pageant in Los Angeles.

Fernandez made her Indian acting debut in the 2009 fantasy drama Aladin, securing the IIFA Award for Star Debut of the Year – Female. She achieved her career breakthrough with the psychological thriller Murder 2 in 2011, which marked her first major commercial success. She subsequently appeared in high-grossing multi-starrers, including the comedy Housefull 2, which earned her a nomination for the IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress, and the action thriller Race 2.

In 2014, Fernandez starred opposite Salman Khan in the action hit Kick, which became one of the highest-grossing Indian films and featured her using her actual voice on screen for the first time. She went on to land roles in diverse films, including the emotional drama Brothers, the horror production Definition of Fear—marking her Hollywood debut—and commercially successful comedies and action features such as Housefull 3, Dishoom, Judwaa 2, and Race 3. She also marked her entry into Sri Lankan cinema with the crime thriller According to Matthew.

Her subsequent projects include the action feature Drive, the streaming film Mrs. Serial Killer, the action drama Bachchhan Paandey, the Kannada film Vikrant Rona, and the multi-part release Housefull 5. Alongside film acting, Fernandez served as a panel judge for the ninth season of the dance television series Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa from 2016 to 2017 and featured in music videos and live stage shows.

Fernandez was raised in Manama, Bahrain, in a multi-ethnic family. Her father is a Sri Lankan Burgher former musician, and her mother was of Malaysian and Canadian descent. She attended Sacred Heart School in Bahrain, graduated in mass communication from the University of Sydney, and undertook language training at the Berlitz school. She also received acting instruction at the John School of Acting.

In addition to entertainment, Fernandez has engaged in various commercial and charitable ventures. She launched a contemporary Sri Lankan restaurant, Kaema Sutra, in Colombo alongside chef Dharshan Munidasa in 2014, and co-founded an activewear line called Just F in 2018. She also served as the brand ambassador for the Delhi Dynamos football club during the 2017–18 Indian Super League season.

A practicing vegan and advocate for animal welfare, Fernandez was honored as PETA India's Woman of the Year in 2014. Since late 2021, she has been subject to legal questioning and travel restrictions by India's Enforcement Directorate in connection with an ongoing money laundering case.