The Carolina Panthers are rolling out Broadway royalty for their Wild Card showdown against the Los Angeles Rams. Christopher Jackson will perform the national anthem at Bank of America Stadium. It’s the franchise’s first playoff game since 2017, and they’re not holding back on the pregame production. Here’s everything you need to know about the voice that will begin the game.

Who is Christopher Jackson?

Christopher Jackson, a.k.a. Chris Jackson (50), hails from Metropolis, Illinois, bringing serious credentials. Having learned the craft of music and acting from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, he’s a Tony-nominated actor and an Emmy and a Grammy winner to boot. He portrayed George Washington in ‘Hamilton’ and Benny in ‘In the Heights,’ both Lin-Manuel Miranda productions, which have reshaped the American theater.

The NFL increasingly taps into big-name performers for playoff anthems. Regular-season games usually get local talents, with some exceptions. Postseason? They want moments. And Jackson fits that brief perfectly: theatrical power meets mainstream recognition.

Christopher Jackson’s career and net worth

Jackson’s estimated net worth sits at $51 million as of 2025. This fortune comes from multiple revenue streams. Broadway salaries from ‘Hamilton’ and ‘In the Heights’ certainly add a lot to it. Apart from that, his resume spans six seasons on CBS’s ‘Bull,’ voice work as the singing voice of Chief Tui in Disney’s ‘Moana,’ and an Emmy-winning song for ‘Sesame Street.’

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Film work, music royalties from cast albums and compositions, the list goes on. And it all adds up fast when you’re working constantly. Right now, Jackson is starring in ‘And Just Like That’ and just wrapped a Broadway run in ‘Hell’s Kitchen.’ He can really do it all.

But the Wild Card anthem? He’s most likely making roughly $1,000 for it. The NFL has set that benchmark payment, along with travel, hotel, meals, and production costs. To be fair, Jon Batiste got the same deal for Super Bowl LIX’s anthem back in February 2025. The league doesn’t budge on anthem compensation, regardless of who’s singing. Super Bowl, Wild Card game, the rate stays flat.

Christopher Jackson’s parents

Born on September 30, 1975, in Metropolis, Illinois, Jackson grew up in Cairo. His stepfather, Herbert Michael Hodges, and his mother, Jane Adams, raised him together. Jane was a vocal music teacher, and that background clearly rubbed off on Christopher.

His high school teacher, Lynn Stevenson, saw something in him early. She cast Jackson in ‘The Crucible’ and pushed him toward acting. Basketball coach Larry Baldwin and Pastor Larry Potts also mentored him through those formative years in Cairo.

He graduated from Cairo High School in 1993, then headed straight to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York. Two years later, he was working Off-Broadway; the trajectory was set.

How singing at a playoff game impacts artists

For Christopher Jackson, this Wild Card appearance isn’t a career maker. So why does an established Broadway star take a playoff anthem gig? The answer is simply exposure. The NFL’s platform delivers millions of eyeballs across demographics Jackson doesn’t normally reach. Theater fans already know him, Disney fans already know his voice, and the football fans are about to meet him now.

The Panthers’ eight-year playoff drought makes this moment even stickier. The Charlotte crowd will be hungry, and the energy will be through the roof. Jackson’s Hamilton connection (the song ‘History Has Its Eyes On You’) becomes a natural narrative hook. Theater meets football, and heritage meets hustle. No surprise teams are getting more strategic with anthem picks. These aren’t afterthoughts anymore. They’re part of the show.

Christopher Jackson’s social media handle

If you’re curious to follow Christopher’s journey on his social media, he is active on his Instagram handle (@cjack930), and shares sneak peeks from his life here from time to time.

Saturday’s game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. E.T. at Bank of America Stadium, and Jackson’s anthem sets the tone for a franchise desperate to prove 2017 wasn’t a fluke. The Panthers have waited eight long years for this moment. And they’re not leaving anything to chance; not the roster, not the atmosphere, not even the pregame vocals.