Jessica Falkholt (15 May 1988 – 17 January 2018) was an Australian actress, who appeared in 16 episodes of the television series Home and Away as Hope Morrison in 2016. On 26 December 2017, she was involved in a car crash which left her in a critical condition and caused the deaths of her parents and sister; she died in hospital on 17 January 2018.

Biography

Falkholt was born on 15 May 1988 in Sydney to a Swedish father and an Italian mother, Lars and Vivian. She attended Gilroy College in Castle Hill, graduating in 2006. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Media and Communication at the University of NSW, where she starred in several theatrical productions including the musical Cabaret. After graduation, she worked production jobs at Channel Seven and Carnival Films, building a portfolio by acting in television commercials.

In 2012, Falkholt was accepted into the National Institute of Dramatic Art. While studying there, she had minor television roles in Tricky Business and Underbelly: Badness. A year after graduating from NIDA, she took on the recurring role of Hope Morrison in the long-running series Home and Away. This led to her being cast in her first major role as the title character in the upcoming film Harmony. She also filmed a role in Nine Network's drama Bite Club.

Traffic collision

On 26 December 2017, Falkholt was involved in a car crash which killed both her parents instantly. As the vehicle burst into flames, both Jessica and her sister Annabelle, aged 21, were pulled out of the vehicle alive, but Annabelle died on 29 December in Liverpool Hospital. 

The fifty-year-old driver of the other vehicle, Craig Anthony Whitall, who was also killed, was reportedly a serial traffic offender. His car failed to negotiate a curve on the Princes Highway, near Sussex Inlet, and travelled into the path of the Falkholts' car. The Falkholts were returning to Ryde after attending Christmas celebrations. Officials confirmed the driver was returning home to Ulladulla, after visiting a methadone clinic in Nowra. Police are investigating whether the drug was a factor in the crash, among other contributing factors.

Following the crash, Falkholt was taken to Sydney's St George Hospital, where she underwent surgery that included the removal of a kidney and part of her skull. On 12 January 2018, a spokesperson for St George Hospital confirmed that her life support had been turned off but that she remained in a critical condition.

She died in hospital on 17 January 2018.

Filmography

• Home and Away (2016) – Hope Morrison
• Bite Club (2018) – Emma Bailey
• Harmony (2018) – Harmony