Samuel L. Jackson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Samuel L. Jackson
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Jackson in 2022
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Samuel Leroy Jackson
December 21, 1948 Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Citizenship | United States • Gabon |
| Education | Morehouse College (BA) |
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| Years active | 1972–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | Full list |
Samuel Leroy Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is a famous American actor. He is one of the most recognized actors of his time. His movies have earned more money than almost any other actor's films, making him the highest-grossing actor of all time. In 2022, he received a special Academy Honorary Award for being a "cultural icon" whose amazing work has touched people of all ages and in many different types of movies.
Jackson started acting on stage in 1980. He performed in plays like Mother Courage and Her Children and A Soldier's Play. He also played Martin Luther King Jr. in the Broadway play The Mountaintop in 2011. In 2022, he returned to Broadway in The Piano Lesson, which earned him a nomination for a Tony Award.
His early film roles include movies like Coming to America (1988) and Juice (1992). He worked often with director Spike Lee on films such as Do the Right Thing (1989) and Jungle Fever (1991). Jackson became widely known for his role as Jules Winnfield in Quentin Tarantino's crime drama Pulp Fiction (1994). For this role, he won a BAFTA Award and was nominated for an Academy Award. He continued to work with Tarantino in movies like Django Unchained (2012) and The Hateful Eight (2015).
Jackson is also famous for playing Jedi Master Mace Windu in the Star Wars prequel movies (1999–2005). He also plays Nick Fury in many Marvel Cinematic Universe films, starting with Iron Man (2008). He has voiced characters like Frozone in the Pixar films The Incredibles (2004) and Incredibles 2 (2018). His other big movies include Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Coach Carter (2005), and Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014).
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Samuel L. Jackson's Early Life
Samuel Leroy Jackson was born in Washington, D.C., on December 21, 1948. He was the only child of Elizabeth and Roy Jackson. He grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, mostly raised by his mother and grandparents. His father lived away and Jackson only met him twice. In 2019, he became a citizen of Gabon because DNA tests showed he has roots there.
He went to schools that were separated by race. He played the French horn, piccolo, trumpet, and flute in his school orchestra. As a child, he had a stutter, which is a speech problem. He learned to pretend to be other people who didn't stutter to help with it. He still sometimes stutters today.
Jackson first wanted to study marine biology at Morehouse College in Atlanta. But after joining a local acting group for a class, he discovered he loved acting. He changed his major to drama and graduated in 1972. He even helped start a theater group called Just Us Theatre.
After Martin Luther King Jr.'s death in 1968, Jackson attended King's funeral. He then joined a protest march for equal rights. He became involved in the Black Power movement, which made him feel strong and purposeful. However, his mother sent him to Los Angeles to keep him safe from the more intense parts of the movement.
Samuel L. Jackson's Acting Career
Starting Out in Theatre and Film (1972–1987)
Jackson began his acting journey on stage. He performed in plays like Home and A Soldier's Play. He also appeared in some TV movies. His first feature film was an independent movie called Together for Days (1972).
In 1976, Jackson moved to New York City. For the next ten years, he acted in many stage plays. These included the first performances of The Piano Lesson and Two Trains Running. To earn money while trying out for roles, he worked as a security guard at an apartment building.
Becoming Known (1988–1993)
After a play in 1981, Jackson met director Spike Lee. Lee gave him small roles in his movies School Daze (1988) and Do the Right Thing (1989). Jackson also worked as a stand-in for actor Bill Cosby on The Cosby Show for three years. Early in his film career, he was guided by actor Morgan Freeman.
Jackson had a small part in the 1990 film Goodfellas. He then appeared in Jungle Fever. His performance in Jungle Fever was so good that the 1991 Cannes Film Festival created a special "Supporting Actor" award just for him. After this, Jackson acted in comedies like Strictly Business and dramas like Juice. He also worked with director Steven Spielberg in the 1993 hit movie Jurassic Park.
Big Breakthrough with Pulp Fiction (1994–1998)
In 1994, director Quentin Tarantino asked Jackson to play Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction. Jackson was surprised because the role was written specifically for him. Pulp Fiction was Jackson's 30th film, and it made him famous around the world. Critics loved his performance. He was nominated for an Academy Award and won a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Role.
After Pulp Fiction, Jackson received many movie scripts. He then starred in two very successful movies: Die Hard with a Vengeance with Bruce Willis, and A Time to Kill. A Time to Kill earned him an award and a Golden Globe nomination.
Jackson quickly became a box office star. In 1997, he had three main roles. He played a dedicated teacher in 187. He also worked with Tarantino again in Jackie Brown, winning an award at the Berlin Film Festival. In 1998, he starred with Sharon Stone and Dustin Hoffman in Sphere, and with Kevin Spacey in The Negotiator. In 1999, Jackson appeared in the horror film Deep Blue Sea and as Jedi Master Mace Windu in George Lucas' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. He was very excited to be part of the Star Wars story.
Becoming an Established Actor (1999–2007)
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On June 13, 2000, Jackson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He started the new decade playing a Marine colonel in Rules of Engagement. He also starred with Bruce Willis again in Unbreakable and in the 2000 remake of Shaft. He played both of these characters again in 2019.
In 2002, he returned for Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, where his character Mace Windu became more important. Jackson suggested that Mace Windu's lightsaber be purple so his character would stand out in battle. He also acted as an NSA agent in XXX. In 2003, Jackson worked with John Travolta in Basic and played a police sergeant in the movie SWAT.
In 2004, Jackson voiced the superhero Frozone in the animated film The Incredibles. This movie was a huge success, and his voice acting was highly praised. He also made a quick appearance in another Quentin Tarantino film, Kill Bill: Volume 2.
In 2005, he starred in the sports drama Coach Carter. He played a coach who taught his players that education was more important than basketball. Jackson's performance was praised. He also returned for the final Star Wars prequel film, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
On January 30, 2006, Jackson was honored with a hand and footprint ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. He said he chooses roles that are "exciting to watch" and have "interesting characters." His next film was Snakes on a Plane, which became a cult film even before it was released. Jackson said he chose to be in the movie just because of its cool title. In December 2006, he won the German Bambi Award for his many film contributions.
In 2007, Jackson narrated Farce of the Penguins, a funny movie that made fun of March of the Penguins. He also starred in the drama Black Snake Moan and the horror film 1408. In 2008, he played Mace Windu again in the animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He also starred in Lakeview Terrace and Soul Men.
Expanding His Career (2008–2019)
In 2008, Jackson played the villain in The Spirit. In 2009, he narrated parts of Quentin Tarantino's World War II film Inglourious Basterds.
In 2010, he starred in the drama Mother and Child. He also played a police officer in the comedy The Other Guys with Dwayne Johnson. Jackson has often appeared in films with famous rappers like Tupac Shakur, Queen Latifah, and Ice Cube. He has also been in five movies with actor Bruce Willis.
In 2002, Marvel Comics designed their "Ultimate" version of the character Nick Fury to look like Samuel L. Jackson. In the 2008 film Iron Man, Jackson made a surprise appearance as Nick Fury after the credits. In 2009, he signed a deal with Marvel Studios to play Nick Fury in many more films, including Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and The Avengers. He continued to play the role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). In 2018 and 2019, he appeared as Fury in Infinity War and Endgame. He also played a younger Nick Fury in Captain Marvel.
Jackson also appeared in Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained (2012) and The Hateful Eight (2015). In 2017, he was in Kong: Skull Island. In 2019, he played his character Mr. Glass again in the film Glass, and his Shaft character in another Shaft movie. He also had a big role as Nick Fury in the Marvel film Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Recent Work and Theatre Return (2020–present)
In 2020, Jackson appeared in the TV documentary series Enslaved. He also starred in the 2021 movie Spiral: From the Book of Saw with Chris Rock. After not being on stage for 11 years, Jackson returned to Broadway in 2022. He played Doaker Charles in a new production of The Piano Lesson, directed by his wife, LaTanya Richardson Jackson. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance.
He continued to play Nick Fury in the Disney+ series Secret Invasion and in the movie The Marvels. In 2024, Jackson had a small role in the spy comedy Argylle.
Future Projects
Jackson is planning to produce a live-action movie based on Afro Samurai. He will also play the role of Sho'nuff in a remake of The Last Dragon. He is also set to appear in a movie called Unholy Trinity.
Other Appearances
Jackson is well-known for his voice acting. He voiced Whiplash in Turbo (2013) and the main character in the anime series Afro Samurai (2007). He also voiced Frank Tenpenny in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004). He narrated the famous documentary I Am Not Your Negro (2016).
Besides movies, Jackson has been in TV shows, music videos, and audiobooks. He was in the Public Enemy music video for "911 Is a Joke". He voiced characters like Gin Rummy in the animated series The Boondocks. He also guest-starred as himself in the TV show Extras.
Jackson has hosted many awards shows, including the MTV Movie Awards and the ESPYs. In 2006, he provided the voice of God for The Bible Experience, an New Testament audiobook. Producers chose him because of his deep, powerful voice.
Jackson has appeared in commercials for Capital One credit cards and Sky Broadband. He also played Nick Fury in an ad for the video game Marvel Snap. He released a song about social justice called "I Can't Breathe" with other artists.
Box Office Success
Samuel L. Jackson's films have earned a huge amount of money. By 2022, his movies had made over $27 billion worldwide across 152 films. This makes him the highest-grossing actor of all time.
Personal Life
In 1980, Jackson married actress and producer LaTanya Richardson. They met in college. They have one daughter named Zoe, born in 1982. In 2009, they started a charity to help support education.
Jackson enjoys watching his own movies in cinemas. He also collects action figures of the characters he plays, like Jules Winnfield, Shaft, Mace Windu, and Frozone.
Jackson is bald, but he often wears wigs in his movies. He said he started shaving his head when he began to lose his hair. He usually gets to choose the hairstyles for his characters. He often wears a Kangol hat in public.
Jackson has a special rule in his movie contracts that allows him to play golf during filming. He loves golf and plays in charity tournaments to help children. He is also a big fan of basketball, supporting the Toronto Raptors and the Harlem Globetrotters. He supports English football team Liverpool FC and Irish team Bohemian FC.
Politics and Activism
Jackson has been involved in politics and activism. He supported Barack Obama during the 2008 election. He said Obama represented the idea that anyone could become president.
In 2013, Jackson started a campaign with Prizeo to raise money to fight Alzheimer's disease. He also launched a campaign called "One for the Boys" to teach men about testicular cancer and encourage them to get checked.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Jackson encouraged people to wear face masks to help stop the spread of the virus. He also encouraged people who had recovered from COVID-19 to donate their blood.
Filmography
Awards and Honors
Throughout his career, Jackson has received many awards for his acting. At the Cannes Film Festival in 1991, he won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his role in Jungle Fever. He also won a BAFTA Award and an Independent Spirit Award for his performance in Pulp Fiction (1994). For Jackie Brown (1997), he received the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin Film Festival. In 2021, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave Jackson a special Academy Honorary Award for being a "cultural icon" whose work has touched people everywhere. At the award ceremony in 2022, his friend and fellow actor Denzel Washington presented him with the Oscar.
See also
In Spanish: Samuel L. Jackson para niños
