Isaacs was born in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, of Eastern European Jewish descent; his parents now live in Israel. He had initially planned to go into law -- a white-collar profession that would have fit nicely with those of his brothers, who became a doctor, lawyer, and accountant -- but was swayed by acting early in the course of his law studies at Bristol University. Although he first became interested in acting in part because "it was a great way to meet girls," Jason soon found deeper meaning in the theatre (in one interview he was quoted as saying "I could release myself into acting in a way that I was not released socially") and duly dropped out of Bristol, where he had directed and/or appeared in over 20 productions, to hone his skills at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. continues...