Skai Jackson is an American actress. With such accolades as a Shorty Award and a nomination for a NAACP Image Award, she was featured in Time's list of the most influential teens in 2016. After early child acting roles in the independent film Liberty Kid (2007) and with cameos in The Rebound (2009) and The Smurfs (2011), Jackson gained recognition for her starring role as Zuri Ross in the Disney Channel comedy series Jessie (2011–2015) and its spin-off series Bunk'd (2015–2018). She received a NAACP Image Award nomination for the role. Jackson has since voiced characters in the Marvel Rising franchise (2018–2019) and DreamWorks Dragons: Rescue Riders (2019–2022), and starred in the film Sheroes (2023). Her memoir Reach for the Skai: How to Inspire, Empower, and Clapback was released in 2019. Jackson was also a semi-finalist on the 29th season of Dancing with the Stars (2020). She has also been recognized for her social media presence. Artist Mike Deodato, a co-creator of Ironheart / Riri Williams, confirmed that Skai Jackson inspired the Marvel comic book character. Jackson stated she would like to play Ironheart in a live-action adaptation. She auditioned for an unnamed role in the 2018 Marvel film Black Panther. Marvel eventually cast Dominique Thorne as Ironheart for the second Black Panther film and subsequent the MCU projects.