Stunning actress Malaika Jackson appears alongside Alicia Silverstone in The Baby-sitter’s Club TV Series released on Netflix July 3rd, 2020
Multi-talented actress Malaika Jackson has had a series of chance encounters with talent scouts that led her to become Miss Caribbean Canada, an MTV host/producer, to a career as a successful actress in film and television. Next up for this multi-talented actress is her role as Mrs. Papadakis in the new upcoming Netflix series The Baby-Sitter’s Club released on Netflix on July 3rd.
The Baby-Sitter’s Club is based on the classic book series of the same name and one of the top-selling book series in history. It chronicles one summer in the lives of seven young women on the cusp of their teenage years, bound by friendships that will last a lifetime. Malaika plays the role of a outspoken parent named Mrs. Papadakis, and had the pleasure of working alongside Alicia Silverstone. In a bid to keep the TV version as timely as possible, episodes will broach topics including divorce, racism, and belonging.
Other upcoming roles in 2020 for Malaika are the feature film Little Fish, which was originally scheduled to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film follows a couple’s fight to hold their relationship together as a memory loss virus spreads and threatens to erase the history of their love and courtship. She joins Olivia Cooke and Jack O’Connell in the role of a clinician who is attending to potential candidates seeking to partake in a trial vaccine for a memory loss virus that is plaguing humanity. Malaika will also play an animal control officer in the movie Disney Movie Flora & Ulysses airing on Disney Plus later this year, Flora & Ulysses tells the story of a 10-year-old Flora, an avid comic book fan, who saves a squirrel she names Ulysses only to have its unique superhero powers wreak havoc in a series of humorous and antic-filled adventures that ultimately change Flora’s life forever.
Other past television series and feature films include her role on Arrow as Sandra Hawke, as Michael Jai White’s stoic and fierce wife on The CW’s Arrow, i Zombie, Untold Stories of the ER in addition to a long run as an entertainment TV Host.
Synchronicity has played a big part in Malaika’s steps to stardom. Her road to being crowned Miss Caribbean Canada began when she was discovered by a pageant coach who approached her in a local McDonald’s and convinced her to give the pageant a shot. She was scouted at a period in her life when she was going through a tough time dealing with low self-worth, depression, being bullied, and struggling to come to terms with her parents’ painful separation. Malaika hadn’t even thought about entering a pageant but with encouragement from her mother, she entered and to her surprise, she won the award for most photogenic and was crowned Miss Caribbean Canada. This gave her the motivation to start believing in herself and her capabilities!
A segment on ELLEN gave Malaika the motivation she needed. Ellen DeGeneres premiered an emotional commercial that Malaika starred in for the Pyeong Chang Olympics called “Love over Bias”. Ellen stated that she thought the commercial was beautiful. That was the day that Malaika decided to take acting seriously and pursue her film/TV career!
Malaika has a soft spot for foster kids, as her mother took in and housed over 100 foster kids during her childhood. Malaika volunteered her time to help her mother as many kids came from very tumultuous and harsh backgrounds, which included traumatizing child abuse and neglect. It is her experience with making changes in her life from low self-esteem to growing a career in entertainment and helping foster kids that have Malaika expanding her speaking engagements to help others find their strength and passion to help turn their lives around.
Apart from being a beautiful and talented actress Malaika confesses to being a really good pool player. Not afraid of much, she has been bungee jumping. To stay in shape and for enjoyment, Malaika does mix martial arts: Taekwondo, Kick-Boxing, and Jujitsu. Malaika was born and raised in Toronto. After her fateful vacation, she now resides in Vancouver and spends time with her architect husband and two children.
Other credits include upcoming Little Fish, Flora & Ulysses, and past roles on Arrow.
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By Lesley Diane