Ajay Kumar at 17:02, 23 July 2023

2023-07-23T17:02:26Z

New page

{{short description|British actor and presenter|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{for|the 18th century Sikh leader|Jassa Singh Ahluwalia}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|9|12|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Coventry]], England
| birth_name = Jassa Singh Ahluwalia
| image = 
| caption =
| death_date =
| occupation = Actor
| years active = 2011–present
| website = {{url|http://www.jassaahluwalia.com/}}
}}

'''Jassa Singh Ahluwalia''' (born 12 September 1990) is a British actor, director and radio presenter. He acted in the [[BBC]] television series ''[[Some Girls (TV series)|Some Girls]]'', the film ''[[The Whale (2013 film)|The Whale]]'' and presented the [[Disney Junior (UK & Ireland)|Disney Junior]] TV show ''[[Art Attack]]''.

== Early life ==
Ahluwalia was born in [[Coventry]], England. He is of British and Indian descent, and speaks fluent [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]].

His grandfather was the architect [[Jim Roberts (architect)|James A Roberts]].<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=OfficialJassa |number=1469372303775612935 |title=Very special day out shooting in Birmingham with my mum @SaalDesign for an upcoming BBC documentary, exploring identity and our Midlands history. My grandpa (James Roberts) was the architect behind the iconic Rotunda. |date=10 December 2021}}</ref>

Ahluwalia grew up in [[Oadby]], [[Leicester]], where he attended first Launde Primary School, and later [[Beauchamp College]], where he achieved 10 A* grades at [[GCSE]] and straight As at [[A Level]] (at a time when an A* grade was not available at A level).<ref name="Mercury">[http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Jassa-s-joy-biggest-role/story-17380149-detail/story.html Jassa's joy at his biggest role yet] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224105822/http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Jassa-s-joy-biggest-role/story-17380149-detail/story.html |date=24 December 2013 }}. Retrieved 21 December 2013</ref> While at school, he had a number of small roles, including a speaking role in the film ''[[My Angel (2011 film)|My Angel]]''.<ref name="Mercury" /> Aged 19, he attained a place on the [[Prime Minister's Global Fellowship]] programme, spending six weeks in China. He later attended [[University College London]] for one year, studying Spanish and Russian, before dropping out to pursue a television career.<ref name="Mercury" />

== Career ==
In 2010, Ahluwalia got his big break when he successfully auditioned for the role of host in the children's television series ''[[Art Attack]]''.<ref name="Rise">[http://www.jassaahluwalia.com/press/Rise_and_rise_of_Jassa_the_giant_killer.pdf Rise and rise of Jassa the giant killer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224085348/http://www.jassaahluwalia.com/press/Rise_and_rise_of_Jassa_the_giant_killer.pdf |date=24 December 2013 }}. Retrieved 21 December 2013</ref> He presented the show for one series in 2011, filming in [[Argentina]], before being replaced by [[Lloyd Warbey]].

In 2011, Ahluwalia begun work on his first titled ''All Your Letters''.<ref name="dmbarcroft">[http://dmbarcroft.com/exclusive-interview-with-jassa-ahluwalia-previewing-tonights-ripper-street/ Exclusive Interview with Jassa Ahluwalia previewing tonight's RIPPER STREET]. Retrieved 21 December 2013</ref>

Ahluwalia's next big break was securing the recurring part of lovable badboy Rocky in [[BBC Three]]'s ''[[Some Girls (TV series)|Some Girls]]''. He plays the love interest of the main character Viva ([[Adelayo Adedayo]]). The first season aired in 2012, with the second season being aired in 2013. He also features in the show's third series, which aired in late 2014.<ref name="Girls">[http://www.entertainmentoutlook.com/2013/10/01/girls-exclusive-interview-rocky-jassa-ahluwalia/ Some Girls – Exclusive interview with 'Rocky' Jassa Ahluwalia]. Retrieved 21 December 2013</ref> He has to date featured in eight episodes.

A role in [[BBC One]]'s ''[[Casualty (TV series)|Casualty]]'' was next, as he performed in an episode entitled "Seeing in the Dark", which aired on 27 October 2012. Ahluwalia had a small part in ''[[The Bible (TV miniseries)|The Bible]]'', where he played young [[David]], slayer of [[Goliath]].<ref name="Rise" /> Filmed in [[Morocco]], this miniseries screened on the [[History (American TV network)|History Channel]] in 2013.

Perhaps his best received performance to date was an appearance in the BBC drama ''[[Ripper Street]]'', where he played Vincent Featherwell, a gay prostitute posing as a telegraph boy, in the episode "Threads of Silk and Gold", which was the fifth episode of the second series.<ref name="Ripper">[http://www.entertainmentoutlook.com/2013/11/24/ripper-street-series-2-interview-jassa-ahluwalia/ Ripper Street Series 2 – Interview with Jassa Ahluwalia]. Retrieved 21 December 2013</ref>

Ahluwalia featured again on [[BBC One]] in December 2013, in the film ''[[The Whale (2013 film)|The Whale]]'' which tells the true story of the sinking of the whaleship ''[[Essex (1799 whaleship)|Essex]]''.<ref name="Ripper" /> He plays [[Owen Coffin]], one of the sailors and a cousin of the ship's captain, George Pollard, Jr.<ref>[http://screenterrier.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/the-whale.html Screen Terrier – The Whale] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224112251/http://screenterrier.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/the-whale.html |date=24 December 2013 }}. Retrieved 21 December 2013</ref>

In 2013, he produced a short film entitled ''Modern Man'' with director [[Sebastian Solberg]]. The film tells the story of an [[accidental travel|accidental time-travelling]] cave-woman and her chance encounter with Rupert on the day he plans to propose to his girlfriend.<ref>[http://www.culttvtimes.com/content/modern-man/ Jassa Ahluwalia talks Modern Man: A comedy 102,014 years in the making...]. Retrieved 21 December 2013</ref>

He has also filmed film for NBC Universal, which has not yet been released.<ref name="Girls" />

He has presented programmes on the [[BBC Asian Network]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000pfzf BBC Asian Network – Preeya Kalidas, Jassa Ahluwalia Diwali Party]. Retrieved 28 January 2021</ref>

== Filmography ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Television
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role
|-
| 2011 || ''[[Art Attack]]'' || Himself
|-
| 2012 || ''[[Casualty (TV series)|Casualty]]'' || Bart Nowak
|-
| 2013 || ''[[The Bible (TV miniseries)|The Bible]]'' || Young David
|-
| 2012–2014 || ''[[Some Girls (TV series)|Some Girls]]'' || Rocky
|-
| 2013 || ''[[Ripper Street]]'' || Vincent Featherwell
|-
| 2015–2021 || ''[[Unforgotten]]'' || Adam Stuart
|-
| 2016 || ''[[Peaky Blinders (TV series)|Peaky Blinders]]'' || Dimitri
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Film
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role
|-
| 2011 || ''[[My Angel (2011 film)|My Angel]]'' || Phil
|-
| 2011 || ''[[Resistance (2011 film)|Resistance]]'' || Russian Partisan
|-
| 2013 || ''El amor y otras desgracias'' || Mark
|-
| 2013 || ''[[The Whale (2013 film)|The Whale]]'' || Owen Coffin
|-
| 2015 || ''[[Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse]]'' || Lorne
|-
|2015 || ''The Rezort'' || Jack
|-
|2018 || ''[[Slaughterhouse Rulez]]'' || Yuri
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|nm2623902}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahluwalia, Jassa}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1990 births]]
[[Category:Actors from Coventry]]
[[Category:Ahluwalia]]
[[Category:Alumni of University College London]]
[[Category:BBC Asian Network presenters]]
[[Category:British male actors of Asian descent]]
[[Category:English people of Indian descent]]
[[Category:Male actors from Leicestershire]]
[[Category:People from Oadby]]

Jassa Ahluwalia - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 17:02, 23 July 2023