John M. Jackson
# John M. Jackson

John Murice Jackson (born June 1, 1950) is an American actor, best known for playing Rear Admiral A. J. Chegwidden on the CBS series JAG and also as a special guest star on its spinoff NCIS and recurring cast to its spinoff NCIS: Los Angeles.

John was forced to use his middle initial "M." for his professional name because there was already a "John Jackson" registered with the Screen Actors Guild when he joined the union and SAG rules prohibit two or more members from using exactly the same name.

## Early life

Jackson was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. He played football and basketball at Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth, graduating in 1968. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, Jackson taught social studies at LBJ High School in Austin, Texas.

## Career

Jackson started acting in his late 20s, at a community theater. In 1980, Jackson went to New York City, and later to Hollywood, to further his acting career. He had small roles in a number of television and motion picture productions, most notably a recurring role in the series Wiseguy. In 1986, he appeared in the TV film Blind Justice, starring Tim Matheson. In 1987, Jackson had a small role in the MacGyver episode "Birth Day" as LA police sergeant Meechum who recognizes MacGyver's flag help signal, saying he does so because he spent four years in the Navy. In 1992, Jackson played Captain West, a senior JAG officer, in the American drama film A Few Good Men.

In 1996, Jackson took on the role of Rear Admiral A. J. Chegwidden (the Judge Advocate General of the Navy) in JAG, which he would continue to play for nine consecutive years. Jackson was Johnny B./Eli Ferguson in The Spitfire Grill. His mother was played by Ellen Burstyn.

Jackson had a recurring role as FBI Deputy Director Sam Cullen in the first season of Fox series Bones. Jackson appeared in the series finale of Jericho as the ambassador of Texas to the Allied States of America. Jackson portrayed C-130 pilot Gus in the NBC series Knight Rider and has recently appeared on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Jackson returned to the role of retired admiral A.J. Chegwidden, now a civilian lawyer, in the NCIS season 10 finale, broadcast on May 14, 2013 and again as a recurring character on NCIS: Los Angeles in its 8th and 9th seasons.

## Personal life

Jackson is married to Jana Gale Hawkins Jackson. They have a son, former Major League Baseball player Conor Jackson, and a daughter, Katherine.

## Filmography

### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1981 | Back Roads | Merle | Credited as John Jackson |
| 1983 | Local Hero | Cal | Credited as John Jackson |
| 1985 | The Legend of Billie Jean | Kenny's Father | Credited as John Jackson |
| 1986 | The Hitcher | Sergeant Starr | Credited as John Jackson |
| 1986 | Sid and Nancy | Lance Boyles, M.D. | Credited as John Jackson |
| 1989 | Ginger Ale Afternoon | Hank Mickers | |
| 1990 | Chinatown Connection | P.C. Pete | |
| 1991 | Eve of Destruction | Peter Arnold | |
| 1991 | Career Opportunities | Bud Dodge | |
| 1992 | A Few Good Men | Captain West | |
| 1993 | A Perfect World | Bob Fielder | |
| 1994 | Roswell | Colonel Blanchard | |
| 1996 | The Spitfire Grill | Johnny B. / Eli | |
| 1996 | The Glimmer Man | Donald Cunningham | |
| 1998 | Edge City | Gary | |
| 2005 | Homefront | Marvin | Short film |
| 2008 | West of Brooklyn | Mr. Jensen | |
| 2017 | Gifted | Judge Edward Nichols | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1981 | Murder in Texas | Waiter | Television movie |
| 1982 | American Playhouse | Mr Goodman | Episode "Seguin" |
| 1983 | Adam | Det. Jim Gibbons | Television film |
| 1984 | License to Kill | Officer Caskey | Television film |
| 1984 | Celebrity | Detective | miniseries |
| 1985 | Not My Kid | Parent | Television film |
| 1985 | Right to Kill? | Social worker | Television film |
| 1985 | Crime of Innocence | Police Officer | Television film |
| 1986 | Blind Justice | Porter | Television film |
| 1986 | Kate's Secret | Dick | Television film |
| 1987 | Stillwatch | | Television film |
| 1987 | Roses Are for the Rich | Dr. Clyde Andrews | Television film |
| 1987 | In Self Defense | Pete | Television film |
| 1987 | Baby Girl Scott | David | Television film |
| 1987 | Eye on the Sparrow | Marcus (as John Jackson) | Television film |
| 1987 | Beauty and the Beast | Laine Keller | Episode: "An Impossible Silence" |
| 1987 | MacGyver | LAPD Sergeant Meechum | Episode "Birth Day" |
| 1988 | Baja Oklahoma | Lee Steadman | Television film |
| 1988 | Probe | Sgt. Greenwald | Episode: "Metamorphic Anthropoidic Prototype Over You" |
| 1988 | The Town Bully | Cliff Clifford (as John Jackson) | Television film |
| 1988 | Go Toward the Light | Dr. Paxton | Television film |
| 1988 | Dead Solid Perfect | Grover Scomer | Television film |
| 1987-1989 | Wiseguy | Daryl Elias | 7 episodes |
| 1989 | Traveling Man | Joe Blagdon | Television film |
| 1989 | CBS Summer Playhouse | Mr. Bergen | Episode: "Elysian Fields" |
| 1989 | Cold Sassy Tree | Hoyt (as John Jackson) | Television film |
| 1989 | When He's Not a Stranger | Woodward University Coach (as John Jackson) | Television film |
| 1989 | Parent Trap: Hawaiian Honeymoon | Ray | Television film |
| 1990 | Family of Spies | Arthur J. Walker | Episode #1.1 and #1.2 |
| 1990 | Sudie and Simpson | Dr. Walter Stubbs (as John Jackson) | Television film |
| 1991 | Line of Fire: The Morris Dees Story | Curtis | Television film |
| 1991 | Love, Lies and Murder | Sergeant Patterson | Episode #1.1 Episode #1.2 |
| 1991 | Switched at Birth | Ernest Twigg | miniseries |
| 1991 | Shannon's Deal | | Episode: "Trouble" |
| 1991 | My Life and Times | Frank Harper | Episode: "The Collapse of '98" |
| 1992 | Northern Exposure | Larry Coe (Bob) | Episode: "Burning Down the House" |
| 1992 | A Thousand Heroes | Lt. Colonel Dennis Nielsen | Television film |
| 1992 | An American Story | Sheriff McMillan | Television movie |
| 1992 | Deadly Matrimony | Chief Michael Corbitt | Television film |
| 1993 | Black Widow Murders: The Blanche Taylor Moore Story | Raymond Reid | Television film |
| 1993 | The American Clock | Brewster (as John Jackson) | Television film |
| 1993 | A Family Torn Apart | Joe Hannigan | Television film |
| 1993 | Boy Meets Girl | Percy | Television film |
| 1994 | Dead Man's Revenge | Beesly | Television film |
| 1994 | On Promised Land | Albert Appletree | Television film |
| 1994 | Roswell | Colonel Blanchard | Television film |
| 1994 | Without Warning | Dale Powell (uncredited) | Television film |
| 1995 | The Watcher | Big Mike Jackson | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Kansas | Harvey Purvis | Television film |
| 1995 | Sisters | Det. Blake | Episode: "A Tough Act to Follow" |
| 1996 | Forgotten Sins | Wayne Everett | Television film |
| 1996 | Dark Skies | Charles Pratt | Episode: "The Awakening (Pilot)" |
| 1995-1997 | Party of Five | Major Chase W. Holbrook | 2 episodes |
| 1996–2004 | JAG | Rear Admiral A. J. Chegwidden | 186 episodes |
| 1998 | From the Earth to the Moon | Hal Deacon | Television miniseries Episode: "We Interrupt This Program" |
| 1999 | JAG | Chief Petty Officer Burns | Episode: "Ghosts of Christmas Past" |
| 2003 | JAG | Captain Chesborough | Episode: "Each of Us Angels" |
| 2005 | Ghost Whisperer | Miles Jensen | Episode: "Voices" |
| 2005–2006 | Bones | FBI Deputy Director Sam Cullen | 6 episodes |
| 2008 | Without a Trace | Quentin Richards | Episode: "Article 32" |
| 2009 | Knight Rider (2008 TV series) | Gus | Episode: "Day turns into Knight" |
| 2010 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Russell Huntley | Episode: "Long Ball" |
| 2011 | Castle | Rod Halstead | Episode: "Rise" |
| 2013 | Criminal Minds | Agent Malcolm Hollins | Episode: "Final Shot" |
| 2014 | Rizzoli & Isles | Howard Ames | Episode: "It Takes a Village" |
| 2017–2018 | NCIS: Los Angeles | Rear Admiral A. J. Chegwidden(Ret) | 6 episodes |
