Freda Jackson was born in Nottingham, England in 1908, the daughter of a railway porter. After studying at High Pavement School and the University College there, she became a schoolteacher but gave up her career to study acting at the Royal College of Art, in London. Her first professional stage appearance was in Northampton, England in 1934, before moving on to London's West End in 1936. In 1938 she joined the prestigious Old Vic company, touring with them in Europe and Egypt. She played Shakespeare at Stratford on Avon in 1940, but it was in 1945 that she gained fame in 'No Room at the Inn' in London. Following this success she went on to play many starring roles. In total Freda Jackson appeared in some sixty two major stage roles in England and overseas.

At the same time she appeared in twenty six films, including Sir Laurence Olivier's 'Henry V', David Lean's version of Dicken's 'Great Expectations', Tony Richardson's 'Tom Jones', and the Hammer Horror classic 'Brides of Dracula'. Not content with this she also appeared in several classic British television shows, including Maigret, Adam Adamant Lives, and Blake's 7, together with a number of more serious dramas.

Freda Jackson, who was married to the painter Henry Bird ARCA, died in 1990.