Early life
Jason Bradford Priestley was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, on August 28, 1969, to actress-turned-acting coach Sharon and businessman father Lorne Priestley. Jay, as he was then known, grew up alongside his elder sister Justine, who shared her sibling's love for being in front of the camera.
Aged five Jay informed his mother he wanted to be an actor, and was soon signed by her former agent. Three years on and Jason's talent had become apparent after he starred in TV commercials. Acting wasn't his only love, though, and as he entered his teens he took a brief break to focus on high school sport, especially hockey.
Breakout roles
After Jason graduated, however, his first passion reclaimed him and he headed for Los Angeles to pursue a career on screen. Relocating to Tinseltown proved a wise move for the young thesp, who landed a small part in the hit Eighties TV show 21 Jump Street, a role that would kick-start the handsome actor's career. He went on to appear in action series MacGyver in 1988, then in Quantum Leap the following year.
Before long he was a regular on Sister Kate, and although the sitcom lasted just five episodes it served to get him noticed and led to the breakthrough role in hit series Beverly Hills 90210. Since the series ended in 2000, Jason has made various guest appearances on both TV shows and in a handful of independent films.
Personal life
In addition to pursuing a directing talent, Jason is a keen race car driver, and has taken part in professional races. In August 2002 that spirit led to disaster, however, when he was seriously injured in an 180mph crash. Despite his injuries, which included a fractured spine, broken bones in both feet and a broken nose, he went on to make a full recovery.
Helping nurse him back to health was his makeup artist girlfriend Naomi Lowde, whom he'd met in London in 2001. The beautiful Brit went on to become his wife when the pair wed in the Bahamas in May 2005, and the couple welcomed a baby daughter, Ava, in July 2007 and a son Dashiell in July 2009. Prior to his relationship with Naomi, Jason was in a short-lived marriage to make-up artist Ashlee Peterson from February 1999 to January 2000, when they divorced.
