Bafta TV award winner Jasmine Jobson says Top Boy has ‘changed my life’

Following her supporting actress win for her role as Jaq on the series, Jobson, 29, spoke at a press conference about the show, which picked up the best drama series Bafta.

“It’s been a job that has changed my life”, she said.

“I was just a normal girl from west London that was just trying to do better for myself and was just wishing and hoping for the best.

“And one day I went from working in a bar full time and acting part time to suddenly acting full time and now acting pays my bills.

“so Top Boy changed my life.”

Speaking about how she prepared to play Jaq, who has a love interest in Adwoa Aboah’s character on the show, she said: “I spoke to quite a few of my friends that are part of the LGBTQ community as well and I was just questioning them and just trying to figure out the ins and outs.

“And sometimes I could ask wrong questions, it’s all just a learning curve.”

Speaking about the reaction from the LGBTQ+ community, she added: “It’s been insane.

“The love is so, so real. I mean, I’ve spoken to a few people that have pulled me and they’ve said that, you know, with the character that I’ve had in Top it’s made them feel a little bit stronger in owning themselves, and I’m very happy that I’ve been able to be that person.”

Top Boy first aired on Channel 4, starting in 2011, before it was revived by Netflix in 2019 following interest from rapper Drake, who serves as an executive producer on the new incarnation.

The series, created and written by Ronan Bennett, is set on the fictional Summerhouse Estate in Hackney and has focused on Dushane and Sully, played by Ashley Walters and Kane “Kano” Robinson as they strive ruthlessly to become the local dominant “Top Boys”.

The show’s fifth and final series aired in 2023.