Samuel L Jackson arrives at the FitFlop Shooting Stars Benefit closing ball at the Royal Courts of Justice. The event was hosted by Samuel L Jackson to raise money for Make-A-Wish Foundation UK at Royal Courts of Justice, Strand on August 5, 2011, in London, England. (Photo by Stuart Wilson)
Gallery of Samuel Jackson
2012
Whitehall Pl, Westminster, London SW1A 2BD, UK
Samuel L Jackson speaks during the Shooting Stars Benefit Launch 2012 at Corinthia Hotel London on October 20, 2012, in London, England. (Photo by Ben Pruchnie)
Gallery of Samuel Jackson
2013
The Palace in the Park, London, England, UK
Samuel L. Jackson launches 'One For The Boys', a Male Cancer awareness campaign at The Palace in the Park on June 17, 2013, in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips)
Gallery of Samuel Jackson
2014
1 Ham Yard, Soho, London W1D 7DT, UK
Samuel L Jackson attends the GQ dinner to celebrate London Collections: Men SS15 at Ham Yard Hotel on June 17, 2014, in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett)
Gallery of Samuel Jackson
2014
9255 Towne Centre Dr #400, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
Samuel L. Jackson takes a break from Comic-Con to check out Xbox One Halo: The Master Chief Collection in the Microsoft VIP Lounge on July 25, 2014, in San Diego, California. (Photo by John Sciulli)
Gallery of Samuel Jackson
2014
Bow St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD, UK
Samuel L. Jackson attends the GQ Men of the Year awards at The Royal Opera House on September 2, 2014, in London, England. (Photo by Anthony Harvey)
Gallery of Samuel Jackson
2015
6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, USA
Samuel L. Jackson attends the world premiere of Marvel's "Avengers: Age Of Ultron" at the Dolby Theatre on April 13, 2015, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay)
Gallery of Samuel Jackson
2015
242 W 41st St, New York, NY 10036, USA
Samuel L. Jackson attends "Show Me A Hero" New York Screening at The New York Times Center on August 11, 2015, in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski)
Gallery of Samuel Jackson
2015
8687 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069, USA
Samuel L. Jackson attends the Hateful Eight SAG Screening and Q&A at the Pacific Design Center on December 5, 2015, in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by John Sciulli)
Gallery of Samuel Jackson
2016
Westfield, Ariel Way, London W12 7GF, UK
Samuel L. Jackson attends the European premiere of 'Captain America: Civil War' at Vue Westfield on April 26, 2016, in London, England (Photo by Anthony Harvey)
Gallery of Samuel Jackson
2016
6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, USA
Samuel L. Jackson attends the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures' "The Legend of Tarzan" at Dolby Theatre on June 27, 2016, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez)
Gallery of Samuel Jackson
2017
6925 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, USA
Samuel L. Jackson attends the premiere of "xXx: Return of Xander Cage" at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX on January 19, 2017, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris)
Gallery of Samuel Jackson
2018
660 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30308, USA
Samuel L. Jackson speaks onstage during the Marvel Studios "Black Panther" Atlanta movie screening at The Fox Theatre on February 7, 2018, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Marcus Ingram)
Gallery of Samuel Jackson
2018
111 W Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101, USA
Samuel L. Jackson walks onstage at Universal Pictures' "Glass" and "Halloween" panels during Comic-Con International 2018 at San Diego Convention Center on July 20, 2018, in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter)
Gallery of Samuel Jackson
2019
333 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011, USA
Samuel L. Jackson attends the "Glass" NY Premiere at SVA Theater on January 15, 2019, in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil)
Gallery of Samuel Jackson
2019
6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, USA
Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson attend the 91st Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 24, 2019, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison)
Gallery of Samuel Jackson
2019
6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, USA
Spike Lee accepts the Best Adapted Screenplay award for "BlacKkKlansman" from Samuel L. Jackson onstage during the 91st Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on February 24, 2019, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter)
Gallery of Samuel Jackson
2019
Hollywood, California, USA
Samuel L. Jackson attends the Marvel Studios "Captain Marvel" Premiere held on March 4, 2019, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega)
Gallery of Samuel Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson attends 2015 National Board of Review Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on January 5, 2016, in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy)
Gallery of Samuel Jackson
38 Curzon St, Mayfair, London W1J 7TY, UK
Samuel L. Jackson and Brie Larson attend the "Captain Marvel European Gala" held at The Curzon Mayfair on February 27, 2019, in London, England. (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Dave)
Achievements
2000
N Highland Ave &, Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028, USA
Jackson was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7020 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on June 16, 2000.
Membership
Awards
NAACP Image Award
2011
665 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA
Samuel L. Jackson accepts the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for 'Mother and Child' onstage at the 42nd NAACP Image Awards held at The Shrine Auditorium on March 4, 2011, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter)
MTV Movie Award
2013
10202 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232, USA
Samuel L. Jackson speaks onstage during the 2013 MTV Movie Awards at Sony Pictures Studios on April 14, 2013, in Culver City, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur)
Samuel L. Jackson accepts the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for 'Mother and Child' onstage at the 42nd NAACP Image Awards held at The Shrine Auditorium on March 4, 2011, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter)
Samuel L Jackson arrives at the FitFlop Shooting Stars Benefit closing ball at the Royal Courts of Justice. The event was hosted by Samuel L Jackson to raise money for Make-A-Wish Foundation UK at Royal Courts of Justice, Strand on August 5, 2011, in London, England. (Photo by Stuart Wilson)
Samuel L Jackson speaks during the Shooting Stars Benefit Launch 2012 at Corinthia Hotel London on October 20, 2012, in London, England. (Photo by Ben Pruchnie)
Samuel L. Jackson speaks onstage during the 2013 MTV Movie Awards at Sony Pictures Studios on April 14, 2013, in Culver City, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur)
Samuel L. Jackson launches 'One For The Boys', a Male Cancer awareness campaign at The Palace in the Park on June 17, 2013, in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips)
Samuel L Jackson attends the GQ dinner to celebrate London Collections: Men SS15 at Ham Yard Hotel on June 17, 2014, in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett)
9255 Towne Centre Dr #400, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
Samuel L. Jackson takes a break from Comic-Con to check out Xbox One Halo: The Master Chief Collection in the Microsoft VIP Lounge on July 25, 2014, in San Diego, California. (Photo by John Sciulli)
Samuel L. Jackson attends the world premiere of Marvel's "Avengers: Age Of Ultron" at the Dolby Theatre on April 13, 2015, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay)
Samuel L. Jackson attends "Show Me A Hero" New York Screening at The New York Times Center on August 11, 2015, in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski)
Samuel L. Jackson attends the Hateful Eight SAG Screening and Q&A at the Pacific Design Center on December 5, 2015, in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by John Sciulli)
Samuel L. Jackson attends the European premiere of 'Captain America: Civil War' at Vue Westfield on April 26, 2016, in London, England (Photo by Anthony Harvey)
Samuel L. Jackson attends the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures' "The Legend of Tarzan" at Dolby Theatre on June 27, 2016, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez)
Samuel L. Jackson attends the premiere of "xXx: Return of Xander Cage" at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX on January 19, 2017, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris)
Samuel L. Jackson speaks onstage during the Marvel Studios "Black Panther" Atlanta movie screening at The Fox Theatre on February 7, 2018, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Marcus Ingram)
Samuel L. Jackson walks onstage at Universal Pictures' "Glass" and "Halloween" panels during Comic-Con International 2018 at San Diego Convention Center on July 20, 2018, in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter)
Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson attend the 91st Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 24, 2019, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison)
Spike Lee accepts the Best Adapted Screenplay award for "BlacKkKlansman" from Samuel L. Jackson onstage during the 91st Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on February 24, 2019, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter)
Samuel L. Jackson and Brie Larson attend the "Captain Marvel European Gala" held at The Curzon Mayfair on February 27, 2019, in London, England. (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Dave)
Connections
colleague: Laurence Fishburne III
2014
9876 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, United Sattes
Laurence Fishburne poses for a portrait during ABC's 2014 TCA summer press tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 15, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/ABC/ABC via Getty Images)
colleague: James McAvoy
2014
Belvedere Rd, Lambeth, London SE1 8XT, United Kingdom
James McAvoy attends the BFI London Film Festival Awards during the 58th BFI London Film Festival on October 18, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for BFI)
(This is the story of a Vietnam vet who launches a bloody ...)
This is the story of a Vietnam vet who launches a bloody vendetta against the New York underworld when his best friend is brutally beaten by a vicious street gang. He becomes a vigilante hero to the public.
(This vivid, high-energy human tableau interweaves the liv...)
This vivid, high-energy human tableau interweaves the lives and passions of a middle class, small town family against the scandal and events of a transitional America in 1906.
(Coming to America casts comedian Eddie Murphy as pampered...)
Coming to America casts comedian Eddie Murphy as pampered African prince Akeem, who rebels against an arranged marriage and heads to America to find a new bride.
(Innovative filmmaker Spike Lee (She's Gotta Have It) brin...)
Innovative filmmaker Spike Lee (She's Gotta Have It) brings to the screen a music-filled, offbeat contemporary comedy that takes an unforgettable look at black college life.
(It is the hottest day of the year on a block in the Bedfo...)
It is the hottest day of the year on a block in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn; a scorching 24-hour period that will change the lives of its residents forever.
(Veteran New York City police detective Frank Keller (Paci...)
Veteran New York City police detective Frank Keller (Pacino) is a workaholic cop living on the edge. Joining forces with detective Sherman Touhey (John Goodman) to track down a bizarre serial killer, he encounters a beautiful suspect (Ellen Barkin). Convinced of her innocence, Keller enters into a passionate affair, despite hard evidence linking her to the murders.
(Samuel L. Jackson, Kadeem Hardison and Bill Nunn star in ...)
Samuel L. Jackson, Kadeem Hardison and Bill Nunn star in this terrifying story of vampires and lust. A sexy female vampire is hell-bent on destroying Joel, a young student, through her powers of seduction. One by one, Joel's friends fall victim to her charms, leaving Joel to face the temptress - and his destiny - alone.
(A middle-aged advertising executive loses his long-awaite...)
A middle-aged advertising executive loses his long-awaited promotion to a younger man. In frustration, he accidentally pushes a panhandler in front of a subway train... and gets away with the death.
(Talented trumpeter Bleek Gilliam (Washington) is obsessed...)
Talented trumpeter Bleek Gilliam (Washington) is obsessed by his music and indecisiveness about his girlfriends Indigo (Joie Lee) and Clarke (Cynda Williams).
(Police Lt. Kinderman notices similarities between his cur...)
Police Lt. Kinderman notices similarities between his current murder investigation and the methods used by the "Gemini" killer who was executed 15 years before. He soon discovers a hospitalized mental patient claiming to be the dead serial killer, but who looks uncannily like a priest Kinderman knew. As more bodies are found, Kinderman looks for connections between the two supposedly dead men.
(The original Mack Daddy is back and he's still takin' no ...)
The original Mack Daddy is back and he's still takin' no guff from no suckahs! This pumping action/thriller sports a platinum-selling soundtrack featuring Ice-T, major rappers, plus the cool soul sounds of Curtis Mayfield.
(A hilarious film about a successful "buppie" investment b...)
A hilarious film about a successful "buppie" investment broker who risks his career, fiancé and possessions when he becomes infatuated with a beautiful club promoter.
(A married African-American architect and an Italian woman...)
A married African-American architect and an Italian woman embark on a charged sexual affair - their interracial romance is a springboard to explore a host of modern issues in this powerhouse drama.
(Brad Pitt stars as Johnny Suede, a wannabe rocker living ...)
Brad Pitt stars as Johnny Suede, a wannabe rocker living a dazed life in early 90s Brooklyn in this slice of '90s American independent cinema. Catherine Keener and Samuel L. Jackson star in this film directed by indie auteur Tom DiCillo ("Living in Oblivion").
(Q. Raheem. Bishop. Steel. They're four Harlem friends who...)
Q. Raheem. Bishop. Steel. They're four Harlem friends who spend their days hanging out and looking for a way to get the power and respect they call Juice. Q hopes to earn respect by becoming a scratch 'n' mix DJ. Bishop has a deadlier plan. He wants to take it through an armed robbery. And he wants his crew to be with him.
(Jack Ryan is caught in the middle of a terrorist attack. ...)
Jack Ryan is caught in the middle of a terrorist attack. Ryan helps to thwart Holmes' assailants and becomes a local hero. But Ryan's act marks him as a target. Now he must return to action to save his family.
(Willem Dafoe and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio star in this...)
Willem Dafoe and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio star in this erotic, suspenseful tale about a small-town sheriff who assumes the identity of a dead man in order to solve a murder.
(Experience one of the biggest films in motion picture his...)
Experience one of the biggest films in motion picture history with director Steven Spielberg’s ultimate thrill ride, Jurassic Park. Featuring Academy Award-winning visual effects and groundbreaking filmmaking that has been hailed as "a triumph of special effects artistry" (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times), this epic film is sheer movie-making magic that was 65 million years in the making. Jurassic Park takes you to an amazing theme park on a remote island where dinosaurs once again roam the earth and five people must battle to survive among the prehistoric predators. Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Richard Attenborough, discover the breathtaking adventure you will want to experience again and again.
(Writer/director Quentin Tarantino delivers an unforgettab...)
Writer/director Quentin Tarantino delivers an unforgettable cast of characters - including a pair of low-rent hit men, their boss's sexy wife, and a desperate prizefighter - in a wildly entertaining and exhilarating motion picture adventure that both thrills and amuses!
(An African-American baby, abandoned by his crack-addicted...)
An African-American baby, abandoned by his crack-addicted mother is adopted by a white social worker and her husband. Several years later, the baby's mother finds out her son is not dead, as she thought before and goes to court to get him back.
(A murder trial brings a small Mississippi town's racial t...)
A murder trial brings a small Mississippi town's racial tensions to the flashpoint. Amidst frenzy an idealistic young attorney mounts a stirring courtroom battle for justice.
(Before his commercial breakthrough with Boogie Nights (19...)
Before his commercial breakthrough with Boogie Nights (1997), writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson made this low-key drama. John (John C. Reilly), a half-bright loser stranded in Reno, is down to his last few bucks when Sydney (Phillip Baker Hall), taking pity on him, buys him breakfast and offers him a few tips on making money in the casinos. Two years later, John has become Sydney's partner, but his lack of common sense goes from problematic to dangerous when he falls in love with Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow), a cocktail waitress who isn't above turning a few tricks when she needs to make money - and isn't any brighter than John. Hall and Reilly, both first-rate character actors, are cast in rare leading roles, and Paltrow is cast strongly against type as a part-time prostitute with a serious lack of street smarts.
(An epic adventure of mystery and obsession unfolds when C...)
An epic adventure of mystery and obsession unfolds when Charles Morritz (Samuel L. Jackson), an appraiser of rare musical instruments, discovers a one-of-a-kind, red violin at a prestigious Montreal auction house.
(Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey star in this tense thr...)
Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey star in this tense thriller about a hostage negotiator who, after being framed for murder, tries
to clear his name by taking people hostage.
(Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn rescue Queen...)
Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn rescue Queen Amidala, ruler of a peaceful planet invaded by dark forces. On their escape, they discover nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker, a child prodigy who is unusually strong in the Force.
(To stop a racist killer (Christian Bale) Shaft's got to t...)
To stop a racist killer (Christian Bale) Shaft's got to track down the only eyewitness that can put him behind bars (Toni Collette). As Shaft closes in, so does the danger. Armed with attitude and up against corrupt cops and venomous druglords he's out to make crime pay up.
(An American master chemist plans to score big on a once-i...)
An American master chemist plans to score big on a once-in-a-lifetime drug deal. All does not go as planned and he is soon entangled in a web of deceit.
(When Jedi apprentice Anakin Skywalker is assigned to prot...)
When Jedi apprentice Anakin Skywalker is assigned to protect Senator Padmé Amidala, he discovers his love for her... and his own darker side. Obi-Wan Kenobi uncovers a secret clone army as the galaxy marches towards full-scale war.
(A taut, intense action-thriller heist film starring Samue...)
A taut, intense action-thriller heist film starring Samuel L. Jackson and Milla Jovovich. They may start as adversaries, but in the end who will end up with the money is anyone's guess.
(An agent from the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) is brough...)
An agent from the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) is brought in to investigate the disappearances of several Army Ranger cadets and their legendary instructor during an exercise at a basic training camp in Louisiana.
(Superstars Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Farrell team up wi...)
Superstars Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Farrell team up with a dazzling cast to form a crack S.W.A.T. team aiming to take down crime in this pulse-pounding, high-octane, action/adventure.
(John Connor must face a female Terminatrix with power ove...)
John Connor must face a female Terminatrix with power over all the machines. But a new T-800 unit Terminator sent back through time will guide him through the coming battle.
(The murderous Bride continues her vengeance quest against...)
The murderous Bride continues her vengeance quest against her ex-boss, Bill, and his two remaining associates; his younger brother Budd, and Bill's latest flame Elle.
(Samuel L. Jackson plays the controversial high school bas...)
Samuel L. Jackson plays the controversial high school basketball coach who benched his undefeated team due to their collective poor academic record in 1999.
(Three years after the beginning of the Clone Wars, Jedi M...)
Three years after the beginning of the Clone Wars, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker lead a mission to rescue the kidnapped Supreme Chancellor Palpatine from the cyborg Separatist commander, General Grievous, during a space battle over Coruscant. After infiltrating Grievous's flagship, the Jedi battle Count Dooku, whom Anakin reluctantly executes at Palpatine's urging. Grievous escapes the battle-torn ship in which the Jedi crash-land on Coruscant. There, Anakin reunites with his wife, Padmé Amidala, who reveals that she is pregnant. While initially excited, Anakin begins to have prophetic visions of Padmé dying in childbirth.
(Renowned horror novelist Mike Enslin (John Cusack) believ...)
Renowned horror novelist Mike Enslin (John Cusack) believes only in what he can see with his own two eyes. But after a string of bestsellers discrediting paranormal events in the most infamous haunted houses and graveyards around the world, he has no real proof of life... afterlife. But Enslin's phantom-free run of long and lonely nights is about to change forever when he checks into suite 1408 of the notorious Dolphin Hotel for his latest project, "Ten Nights in Haunted Hotel Rooms."
(The science fiction thriller leaps to a new realm with Ju...)
The science fiction thriller leaps to a new realm with Jumper, which begins the epic adventures of a man who discovers that he has the exhilarating ability to instantly teleport anywhere in the world he can imagine. From New York to Tokyo, from the ruins of Rome to the heart of the Saharan Desert, anywhere is possible for David Rice (Hayden Christensen), until he begins to see his freedom is not total, and that he's not alone... but part of an ongoing, global war that threatens the very survival of his rare and extraordinary kind.
(In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of J...)
In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds soon cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl who runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers.
(Robert Downey Jr. returns as billionaire Tony Stark in th...)
Robert Downey Jr. returns as billionaire Tony Stark in this thrilling sequel to the worldwide blockbuster. Now that his super hero secret has been revealed, Tony's life is more intense than ever. Everyone wants in on the Iron Man technology, whether for power or profit... but for Ivan Vanko ("Whiplash"), it's revenge!
(Winner of 2 Academy Awards including Best Original Screen...)
Winner of 2 Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay. With the help of his mentor, a slave-turned-bounty hunter sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner.
(A phenomenal cast, including Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jacks...)
A phenomenal cast, including Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Caine, lead this action-packed spy-thriller about a street kid recruited into a group of covert agents.
(In The Hateful Eight, a stagecoach hurtles through the wi...)
In The Hateful Eight, a stagecoach hurtles through the wintry Wyoming landscape. The passengers, bounty hunter John Ruth and his fugitive Daisy Domergue, race towards the town of Red Rock.
(Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson star in this outrageo...)
Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson star in this outrageous action comedy as an elite bodyguard and renowned hitman forced to work together. In order to succeed, they don't just have to avoid getting killed...they have to avoid killing each other.
(With the powerful Thanos on the verge of raining destruct...)
With the powerful Thanos on the verge of raining destruction upon the universe, the Avengers and their Super Hero allies risk everything in the ultimate showdown of all time.
(Life Itself centers on a couple (Oscar Isaac and Olivia W...)
Life Itself centers on a couple (Oscar Isaac and Olivia Wilde) that lead a multi-generational love story spanning both decades and continents, from the streets of New York to the Spanish countryside, and are all connected by a single event.
(Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel takes you on a spectacular...)
Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel takes you on a spectacular adventure from the 1990s, tracing the path of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) as she becomes one of the universe's most powerful heroes. When a galactic war reaches Earth, she meets young agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) at the center of a maelstrom, leading to her ultimate destiny as an Avenger!
(The fourth installment in the Avengers saga is the culmin...)
The fourth installment in the Avengers saga is the culmination of 22 interconnected films and the climax of an epic journey. Earth's heroes will finally understand how fragile our reality is - and the sacrifices that must be made to uphold it - in a story of friendship, teamwork and setting aside differences to overcome an impossible obstacle.
Samuel L. Jackson is an American actor and film producer, who has appeared in countless films, including Pulp Fiction, Jurassic Park and the Star Wars and Marvel superhero franchises.
Background
Ethnicity:
According to DNA tests, Jackson partially descends from the Benga people of Gabon.
Samuel L. Jackson was born on December 21, 1948, in Washington, D.C., The United States, to Elizabeth (née Montgomery) and Roy Henry Jackson. His father lived away from the family in Kansas City, Missouri, and later died from alcoholism. Jackson met his father only twice during his life. He was raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, under his grandmother's strict guidance. His mother, Elizabeth Jackson, joined them when he was 10. An early film enthusiast, Jackson frequently saw films at the local theater and gained exposure to the complicated messages surrounding the black presence on screen. During childhood, he had a stuttering problem. While he eventually learned to "pretend to be other people who didn't stutter" and use the curse word "motherfucker" as an affirmation word, he still has days where he stutters.
Education
Jackson attended several segregated schools and graduated from Riverside High School in Chattanooga. Between the third and 12th grades, he played the French horn and trumpet in the school orchestra. Jackson also played the flute and piccolo.
Jackson's early memories remained with him when he entered the historically black Morehouse College in Atlanta and became increasingly involved in the black-power movement. In 1969, his junior year, he protested the absence of blacks on the board of trustees by locking several board members in a building for two days and was promptly expelled from the college. That same year, Jackson watched a performance by the Negro Ensemble Company and gained a new inspiration - acting. After working as a social worker for two years in Los Angeles, Jackson returned to Morehouse to pursue the study of acting and received his degree in 1972.
Jackson graduated from the institute in 1972 and at the same time, co-founded the theatre group, Just Us Theatre. After appearing in several plays including The Threepenny Opera and A Soldier’s Pay, he made his motion picture debut in the Blaxploitation film, Together for Days, in 1972. Four years later, he appeared in the television series, Movin’ On.
In 1976, having exhausted their enthusiasm for politically charged theater, Jackson moved with Richardson to Harlem, New York City, to pursue an acting career outside such strictly defined perimeters of race. He began to act in Off-Broadway productions, including Richard Wesley's The Mighty Gents, an adaptation of Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage and Samm-Art Williams's Home. He also got a job substituting for Bill Cosby during The Cosby Show rehearsals.
In 1981, while working on Charles Fuller's A Soldier's Play, Jackson had two life-changing encounters: He met fellow actor Morgan Freeman, who became a great friend and convinced Jackson that he could be a successful actor and a New York University film student named Spike Lee, who expressed his enthusiasm for Jackson's performances and urged him to appear in the films he planned to make. Jackson consented and kept his word, appearing in several of Lee's early films including School Daze, Do the Right Thing, and Mo' Better Blues.
The friendship duly paid off for Jackson, as it was his role as the drug-addicted Gator in Lee's Jungle Fever that finally grabbed critics' attention and inspired some well-earned praise. Judges at the Cannes Film Festival created a Best Supporting Actor category in order to give Jackson the prize. He also received a New York Film Critics award. Through playing an on-screen drug-demon, Jackson was forced to confront his own off-screen demon - an increasingly destructive addiction to drugs and alcohol. The cathartic nature of his performance enabled Jackson to give up drugs, making it both a personal and professional success.
Jackson continued to take small parts in films such as Juice and True Romance, and he played an FBI agent in the thriller White Sands, exhibiting his impressive range and ability to add a quirky twist to every character. He overcame two Hollywood flops, National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon I and Amos & Andrew, by making small but affecting performances in Menace II Society and Patriot Games, and also enjoyed a prominent supporting part in the blockbuster Jurassic Park.
In 1994, after establishing a reputation as one of Hollywood's hardest-working actors, Jackson got a chance to play the pivotal role of his career in Quentin Tarantino's instant cult classic, Pulp Fiction, in which Jackson portrayed a loquacious Bible-verse-spewing killer. Working from any actor's dream script, Jackson played Jules Winnfield, a sermon-spewing killer with eruptive speeches up to five pages long. The director, Quentin Tarantino specifically wanted him for the role. Jackson became a world icon after the release and subsequent success of this movie. He moved and terrified audiences with his impassioned performance, becoming the elusive moral center of the psychologically twisted film. He received an Academy Award nomination for the role.
After Pulp Fiction, Jackson received multiple scripts to review: "I could easily have made a career out of playing Jules over the years. Everybody's always sending me the script they think is the new Pulp Fiction." With a succession of poor-performing films such as Kiss of Death, The Great White Hype, and Losing Isaiah, Jackson began to receive poor reviews from critics who had praised his performance in Pulp Fiction. This ended with his involvement in the two box-office successes, Die Hard with a Vengeance, starring alongside Bruce Willis in the third installment of the Die Hard series. Jackson went on to make several big Hollywood films, including John Grisham's A Time to Kill, where he played a father put on trial for killing two men who raped his daughter. For A Time to Kill, Jackson earned an NAACP Image for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture and a Golden Globe nomination for a Best Supporting Actor.
Jackson went on to the action-thriller The Long Kiss Goodnight, but he continued to participate in independent endeavors, such as Steve Buscemi's Trees Lounge. He also made a much-desired return to the stage in 1993 with Distant Fires, telling Premiere magazine, "I always want to get back to the theater to make sure that I'm still an actor."
In 1997, Jackson played the role of Trevor Garfield in One Eight Seven and then starred in other films including, Eve’s Bayou and Jackie Brown. The same year, he was also seen in the television series’, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child and Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen’s. This followed with four more films in 1998, including, Sphere, The Negotiator, The Red Violin and Out of Sight.
In 1999, Jackson appeared in the shark thriller Deep Blue Sea and as Jedi knight Mace Windu in Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace, a role he reprised for Attack of the Clones in 2002 and Revenge of the Sith in 2005.
The year 2000 was a busy one for the popular actor, who starred with Tommy Lee Jones in the military thriller Rules of Engagement and in the remake of the classic 1970s blaxploitation hit Shaft. He also teamed with Bruce Willis in Unbreakable, a supernatural thriller written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
After starring opposite Ben Affleck in 2002's Changing Lanes, Jackson tackled the title role of the biopic Coach Carter in 2005. The following year Jackson starred in Black Snake Moan and the cult classic Snakes on a Plane, and in 2008 he rejoined his Phantom Menace colleague Hayden Christensen in Jumper. From 2003 to 2005, he appeared in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, No Good Deed, Twisted, Kill Bill Vol. 2, The Incredibles, In My Country, The Man and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
In 2006, Jackson was cast opposite Julianne Moore in Freedomland. The same year, he appeared in one of the biggest offbeat films of the year, Snakes on a Plane. To build anticipation for the film, he was also seen in the promotional music video for the movie. Towards the end of the year, he appeared in the Home of the Brave, where he played the role of a doctor.
At that time he was named the highest grossing film actor, soon Jackson was beginning his run as Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After appearing during the end credits of 2008's Iron Man, his character returned for the 2010 sequel and in subsequent films to introduce other Marvel superheroes, including Thor (2011); Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and The Winter Soldier (2014); The Avengers (2012), Age of Ultron (2015) and Infinity War (2018); and Captain Marvel (2019), Avengers: Endgame (2019). Additionally, Jackson has appeared as Fury in the TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Starting in 2007, he was cast as a narrator in the direct-to-DVD film, Farce of the Penguins. He also played the role of a blues player in Black Snake Moan and the horror film, 1408, portraying his versatility in acting.
Along with his lucrative work for Marvel, Jackson reunited with Tarantino for Django Unchained (2012) and The Hateful Eight (2015), and with Lee for Chi-Raq (2015). the following year he starred as a villain seeking immortality in Tim Burton’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, a fantastical adventure based on a popular young adult series by Ransom Riggs. Jackson’s films in 2017 included Kong: Skull Island and The Hitman’s Bodyguard. In Glass (2019) he reprised his role as a comic book dealer/villain from M. Night Shyamalan’s supernatural thriller Unbreakable (2000).
Jackson’s sonorous voice also provided the narration for numerous films, and he frequently appeared on TV as a spokesperson for various products and services.
(M. Night Shyamalan continues Unbreakable and Split in thi...)
2019
Religion
Jackson was raised going to Christian churches. However, he considers himself only “spiritual” today. Jackson participated in the reading (playing God) of a dramatic audio recording of the Bible.
Politics
Jackson campaigned during the 2008 Democratic Primary for Barack Obama in Texarkana, Texas. He said: "Barack Obama represents everything I was told I could be growing up. I am a child of segregation. When I grew up and people told me I could be president, I knew it was a lie. But now we have a representative... the American Dream is a reality. Anyone can grow up to be a president." Jackson also said: "I voted for Barack because he was black. That's why other folks vote for other people - because they look like them". He compared his Django Unchained character, a villainous house slave, to black conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, saying that "I have the same moral compass as Clarence Thomas does".
Views
After the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackson attended the funeral in Atlanta as one of the ushers. Jackson then flew to Memphis to join an equal rights protest march. In a Parade interview, Jackson revealed: "I was angry about the assassination, but I wasn't shocked by it. I knew that change was going to take something different - not sit-ins, not peaceful coexistence."
In 1969, Jackson and several other students held members of the Morehouse College board of trustees (including a nearby Martin Luther King, Sr.) hostage on the campus, demanding reform in the school's curriculum and governance. The college eventually agreed to change its policy, but Jackson was charged with and eventually convicted of unlawful confinement, a second-degree felony. Jackson was then suspended for two years for his criminal record and his actions. He would later return to the college to earn his Bachelor of Arts in Drama in 1972.
After Jackson was convicted, he received a two-year suspension from college during which he worked in Los Angeles as a social worker. He traveled to Atlanta during this time and became heavily involved in the Black Power movement. He returned to Los Angeles after the FBI told his mother that he might end up dead if he stayed in the movement.
In June 2013, Jackson launched a joint campaign with the charity Prizeo in an effort to raise money to fight Alzheimer's disease. As part of the campaign, he recited various fan-written monologues and a popular scene from the AMC series Breaking Bad. In August 2013, he started a vegan diet for health reasons, explaining that he is "just trying to live forever", and attributed a 40 lb (18 kg) weight loss to his new diet. By March 2017, he abandoned the diet. He launched a campaign called "One for the Boys", which teaches men about testicular cancer and urges them to "get themselves checked out".
Personality
Jackson developed addictions to alcohol and cocaine, which prevented him from proceeding with the two plays to Broadway. During the early ’90s, Jackson fell back into drugs and even overdosed on heroin twice. He finally hit rock bottom in 1991, when his daughter found him unconscious in the kitchen surrounded by drugs and paraphernalia. That was the breaking point he needed to get clean. After his second overdose, he kicked the heroin habit and started using cocaine instead. When his family found out about his drug use, he entered a New York rehabilitation clinic, which he completed successfully.
Jackson loves going to the movies, especially when he’s starring. He says he loves watching himself perform on the big screen. He also collects all of the action figures of the characters he’s played.
Jackson loves his sports, especially golf and basketball. He actually has a clause written into many of his film contracts that allows him to play golf during film shoots. He’s even played in the Gary Player Invitational Charity golf tournament.
Physical Characteristics:
Jackson is bald but enjoys wearing wigs in his films. He said about his decision to go bald: “I keep ending up on those bald is beautiful lists. It’s cool. You know, when I started losing my hair it was during the era when everybody had lots of hair. All of a sudden I felt this big hole in the middle of my afro, I couldn’t face having a comb-over so I had to quickly figure what the haircut for me was.”
Jackson usually gets to pick his own hairstyles for each character he portrays. He poked fun at his baldness the first time he appeared bald on The Tonight Show, explaining that he had to shave his head for one role, but then kept receiving more and more bald roles and had to keep shaving his head so that wigs could be made for him. He joked that "the only way I'm gonna have time to grow my hair back is if I'm not working".
Interests
Philosophers & Thinkers
Martin Luther King Jr.
Politicians
Barack Obama
Sport & Clubs
golf, basketball, football, Toronto Raptors, Harlem Globetrotters, Liverpool F.C., Bohemian F.C., Atlanta Falcons
Music & Bands
Will.i.am
Connections
Jackson met his wife, LaTanya Richardson, in 1974 while they were at school (Jackson attended the all-male Morehouse, while Richardson was at the nearby Spelman College, one of America’s oldest historically black female colleges). They were married in 1980, and have remained together ever since. Two years after the wedding, their daughter Zoe was born. Jackson and his wife even started their own charity in 2009 which supports education.
Samuel L. Jackson: The Unbreakable Man
Samuel L. Jackson is among the most famous and, always ready to work actors in the world. He has appeared in various movies such as, as Jurassic Park, Star Wars (Episodes I-III), Jungle Fever, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, and The Long Kiss Goodnight. However, he is also as well recognized for his cool lifestyle: his Kangol beret swag, his impenitent outlook on his prior drug and alcohol addictions and his blunt views on racist views portrayed in Hollywood.