Jessica Falkholt (15 May 1988 – 17 January 2018) was an Australian actress who worked in television and film. In 2016 she portrayed the character Hope Morrison in sixteen episodes of the long-running soap Home and Away. Born in Sydney, Falkholt trained and completed her studies at the University of New South Wales before pursuing acting full time.
Career
Falkholt’s screen work included small parts in television series such as Tricky Business and Underbelly: Badness. She was cast in her first leading film role for the 2018 movie Harmony, and had been due to join the ensemble of Bite Club, a drama produced for the Nine Network. Her credits spanned both guest appearances on TV and a move into feature work.
Accident and death
On 26 December 2017, Falkholt was severely injured in a road collision that killed her parents at the scene. She and her sister Annabelle, then 21, were initially rescued from the burning vehicle; Annabelle later died at Liverpool Hospital. Jessica Falkholt was taken to St George Hospital in critical condition. During treatment she underwent operations that included the removal of a kidney and part of her skull.
Hospital representatives confirmed that life support was discontinued on 12 January 2018 while she remained in critical condition. Falkholt died five days later, on 17 January 2018, at the age of 29.
Selected filmography
- Home and Away (2016) – Hope Morrison (16 episodes)
- Tricky Business (television)
- Underbelly: Badness (television)
- Harmony (2018) – lead role