Jayaram Subramaniam, (born 10 December 1965), is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema, in addition to Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and Sanskrit films. He is also a chenda percussionist, mimicry artist, and occasional playback singer. Jayaram has acted in more than 200 films and received several awards, including the Padma Shri, two Kerala State Film Awards, two Kerala Film Critics Association Awards, one Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, one South Indian International Movie Awards four Filmfare Awards South and seven Asianet Film Awards.

Jayaram started as a mimicry artist at the Kalabhavan Institute during the 1980s. He made his acting debut in a leading role in Padmarajan's 1988 film Aparan. He established himself as a successful leading actor in the 1990s by starring in family dramas and comedies—such as Peruvannapurathe Visheshangal (1989), Shubhayathra (1990), Sandhesam (1991), Georgootty C/O Georgootty (1991), Malootty (1992), Ayalathe Adheham (1992), Meleparambil Aanveedu (1993), CID Unnikrishnan B.A., B.Ed. (1994), Puthukkottayile Puthumanavalan (1995), Aniyan Bava Chetan Bava (1995), Thooval Kottaram (1996), Krishnagudiyil Oru Pranayakalathu (1997), Summer in Bethlehem (1998), Veendum Chila Veettukaryangal (1999), One Man Show (2001), and Manassinakkare (2003).

The 2000 Tamil film Thenali won him two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. Jayaram won his first Kerala State Film Award, the Special Jury Award for his performance in Thooval Kottaram (1996). He won the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor for his performance in Swayamvara Panthal (2000). Jayaram won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor three times, for his performances in Thooval Kottaram (1996), Theerthadanam (2001), and Manassinakkare (2003). In 2011, the Government of India honoured him with Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in the country for his contributions to the Indian film industry.

Jayaram Subramaniam was born on 10 December 1965 as the second among three children of late Subramaniyam and late Thankam at Perumbavoor, Kerala. His father from Palakkad, Kerala. He had an elder brother named Venkataram, who died at a young age, and a younger sister named Manjula. He completed his primary education from Government Boys High School, Perumbavoor. He graduated with a bachelor's degree from Sree Sankara College, Kalady and learnt Chenda under the guidance of guru Pallassana Nandakumar. He became a medical representative soon after college and later joined the Kalabhavan Institute where he learned and performed mimicry on a number of stages, which paved his way to the Malayalam film industry. Malayalam writer Malayattoor Ramakrishnan is Jayaram's maternal uncle.

After college, he joined Kalabhavan, a professional mimicry troupe in Kochi. At the age of 22, he was introduced to the cinema by script writer and filmmaker Padmarajan who gave Jayaram his launching pad with the 1988 film Aparan. Jayaram subsequently acted in Padmarajan's Moonnam Pakkam (1988) and Innale (1989). Padmarajan became his mentor in his film career until the former's death in January 1991. He became one of the Superstars of the Malayalam film industry through the film Meleparambil Aanveedu (1993) which was directed by Rajasenan. The film was a commercial success and ran for over 200 days in theatres. His on-screen chemistry with Shobana worked well in the films Innale, Meleparambil Aanveedu and Dhwani.

He is noted for playing in Kamal's films during the late 1980s and early 1990s, in films such as Pradeshika Varthakal (1989), Peruvannapurathe Visheshangal (1989) and Shubha Yathra (1990) (all of which scripted by Ranjith), where he co-starred with his wife Parvathy. He later did a film scripted by Ranjith with the story by Jagathy Sreekumar and directed by Viji Thampi named Witness (1988). He teamed up with Viji Thampi and Ranjith in Nanma Niranjavan Srinivasan (1990), where he played a police constable who is in search of a criminal played by Mukesh. During the early 90s he acted in Bharathan's Keli (1991) and Malootty (1992).

He has acted in several of Sathyan Anthikkad's films. Their first film was Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu (1988). Around that time, Jayaram played a supporting role in Sathyan Anthikkad's Artham (1989). Thalayanamanthram (1990) and Sandesham (1991), were both written and co-starred by Sreenivasan. Anthikkad and Jayaram later went on to make Thooval Kottaram (1996), which was commercial success, continued their success in films - Irattakuttikalude Achan (1997), Veendum Chila Veettukaryangal (1999), Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal (2000), Yathrakarude Sradhakku (2002), Manassinakkare (2003), Bhagya Devatha and Kadha Thudarunnu.

In his films, he regularly ensured cast included K.P.A.C Lalitha, Unnikrishnan and Jagathy Sreekumar.