Jacqueline Fernandez is a famous Sri Lankan born actress and model who is best known for her work in the Indian Hindi film industry or Bollywood. Fernandez participated in the Miss Sri Lanka pageant in 2006, and won the title of Miss Universe Sri Lanka. She represented Sri Lanka at the 2006 International Miss Universe pageant held in Los Angeles, California, USA. Fernandes, a successful model in Sri Lanka, made her Bollywood debut in 2009 with the fantasy drama ‘Aladin’.
Fernandez gained prominence for her work in 2011 for her work in the psychological thriller film ‘Murder’. She continued to be a part of successful films such as ‘Race 2’, ‘Housefull 2’, ‘Kick’, ‘Brothers’, ‘Housefull 3’, ‘Dishoom’ etc. Fernandez is currently regarded as one of the most successful actresses in India and has been felicitated with several awards. She is the brand ambassador for several luxury brands in India and Sri Lanka. Fernandez marked her television debut in 2016 as the judge of the ninth season of ‘Jhalak Dikhla Jaa’, a dance reality show in India.
Early Life and Education
Fernandez was born in Manama, Bahrain on 11 August 1985 as the youngest of the four children of a Sri Lankan born musician father Elroy Fernandes and a Malaysian born air hostess mother Kim Fernandes. She is of Sri Lankan, Malaysian and Canadian Descent. Fernandes’ father moved to Bahrain during the civil unrest period in Sri Lanka during the 1980’s. She has 3 siblings; an elder sister and two brothers who are also older to her.
Fernandez completed her primary and secondary education from Sacred Heart School in Manama, Bahrain and later moved to Australia for her higher education. She attended The University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia from where she completed her graduation with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication. Fernandez is fluent in Spanish and speaks conversant French and Arabic having learnt it from the Berlitz school of languages.
Career Rise
Fernandez started her career as a television reporter in Sri Lanka and started receiving modelling offers. This resulted in her participating in the 2006 Miss Sri Lanka beauty pageant. Fernandes won the pageant and was crowned Miss Universe Sri Lanka and went on to represent her country at the International Miss Universe pageant in 2006. Fernandes was in India for a modelling assignment in 2009 where she studied acting under theatre director Barry John. She debuted in Bollywood with Sujoy Ghosh’s ‘Aladin’, opposite Riteish Deshmukh. She portrayed the character of Jasmine, which won her an IIFA Award for Best Female Debut. She also featured in the ‘Housefull’ hit song “Dhanno”.
Fernandez received her breakthrough with Mahesh Bhatt’s 2011 thriller film ‘Murder 2’ which became the first critical and commercial success of her career. Her next film, ‘Housefull 2’ became one the highest grossing films of 2012 and she followed it up with another commercial success, ‘Race 2’ in 2013, in which she played a character with grey shades. Fernandez’s work in the 2014 block-buster ‘Kick’ earned her mixed reviews, but the film became a commercial success. She has since appeared in average films such as ‘Roy’, ‘Brothers’, ‘Housefull 3’, ‘Dishoom’ etc. She made her British film debut with the film ‘Definition of Fear’. She appeared in Judwaa 2 in 2017, which turned out to be a success.
Jacqueline Fernandez – Upcoming Movies
Her upcoming movies include ‘Drive’ a franchise-movie to be produced by Karan Johar. She also stars in Race 3 opposite Salman Khan.
Personal Life
Fernandez was reportedly in a relationship with Prince Hassan bin Rashid Al Khalifa of Bahrain from 2008-2011. The couple met through mutual friends and dated for 3 years.
She entered in a relationship with Bollywood actor and director Sajid Khan in 2011 and was speculated to marry him soon. However, the couple called off their relationship in 2013.
The 1.7 meter tall Jacqueline Fernandez is known for her work towards charitable organizations and raising awareness for various causes. She was named the “Woman of The Year” by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA -India) in 2014 for advocating animal protection.
Net Worth and Fee per Movie (Estimated)
Fernandez charges 2-3 Crores (INR) per film and has an estimated net worth of approximately $9 Million.
Jacqueline Fernandez – House
In 2017, she bought her dream home in the form of a sea-facing duplex in Bandra. The house includes a spacious terrace and gym, with fancy millennial pink interiors.
