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Background[]

Samuel L. Jackson ( b. 21 December 1948 ) is an American actor and producer. He has appeared in live action stage theater, television, and cinematic roles; and voice acting performances.

Thanks to his prolific appearances in a multitude of films ranging from cameos to minor and major starring roles; Jackson is considered to be one of the most widely recognizable actors of his generation. Not to mention the highest-grossing actor of all time as well.

Jackson is renowned for his imposing height and deep authoritative voice. He is perhaps best known from his multiple appearances as the stoic Jedi Master Mace Windu from the Star Wars Franchise; as S.H.I.E.L.D. director and spymaster Nick Fury from the Marvel Cinematic Universe Franchise; and the psychotic and brilliant Elijah Price aka Mr. Glass from the Unbreakable Franchise.

He has also been commended for his roles in Jungle Fever; Pulp Fiction; Shaft; and Coach Carter among his vast body of work.

Biography[]

Personal Life[]

Filmography[]

Trivia[]

  • Was an admitted drug user until he completed drug rehab two weeks before playing a drug addict in Jungle Fever.
  • Briefly suspended in 1969 from Morehouse College after taking hostage several members of the board of trustees, including the father of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during a protest of the failure of the university to have black trustees or a black studies program.
  • Worked as a camera stand-in for Bill Cosby during the filming of The Cosby Show.
  • Suffered from a stutter while growing up. A speech therapist suggested he audition for a play and it might help his speech. It did and he changed his major.
  • Was an usher at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s funeral.
  • Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006.
  • Was member of the dramatic jury at the Sundance Film Festival in 1995.
  • Gave his consent for Marvel Comics to design their "Ultimate" version of the character Nick Fury after his likeness. He later went on to play Nick Fury in Iron Man.
  • Has the rare distinction of having played characters that have been eaten by both a shark and a dinosaur (in different films).
  • He makes films for the pleasure he gets out of acting, regardless of how the film turns out.
  • Due to his prominent stature within the film industry, he is accorded a clause in all his movie contracts that guarantees him easy access to golf courses, no matter where the location shoot happens to be.
  • Auditioned for a role in Mississippi Burning, but director Alan Parker told him he did not sound Southern, even though he was raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
  • The Guinness World Records named Samuel L. Jackson as the highest-grossing film actor of all time, taking in more than $7.4 billion at the box-office. The residuals alone earn him about $300,000 a year.
  • Was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7020 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on June 16, 2000.
  • Selected What's New Pussycat for the AFI's book, "Private Screenings", as the movie that influenced him most.
  • As opposed to many other actors and actresses, he enjoys watching his own movies.

Quotes[]

  • "To be frank, I am as passionate about golf as I am about acting. I very seldom get angry at golf. The year I started golf I had a caddie and one day I did get angry with myself and threw a club. My caddie told me, 'You're not good enough to get mad'. I have never thrown a club since. I enjoy my golf, it does not matter whether I play great or badly. I let it go."
  • "I think everyone who says they don't like watching themselves in movies should stop lying."
  • "People like the Ezekiel speech. I have to say that speech about three times a week to people; just to prove that I still know it.
  • "I was a square for so long and it totally amazes me that people think I am cool."
  • "A movie is just a movie to me. They open, they close."
  • "I have a place that's pretty much cemented in Hollywood in terms of liability, box-office viability and everything else. The only thing an Oscar would do is jack my check up maybe $1 million."
  • "I feel like I have a kinship to England. I go about three or four times a year because you guys love me. Seriously, that's it right there. I just need to feel that love every once in a while. I like England because I can go anywhere on the tube and buses. So when I'm there I go to all the places where I used to hang out."
  • "I don't understand how people live without creating. You know? I don't know how you do one picture a year."
  • "I was raised to be cautious. I went to work with my grandfather, who cleaned office buildings and furnaces, and there would be twenty-year-old guys callin' him Ed, and he called 'em Mister. My grandfather was this old guy, very dignified, but he never looked 'em in the eye. He'd look at me like, 'Turn your head down! Don't look the white men in the eye 'cause they'll think you being uppity or arrogant.' Now the name of my production company is Uppity."
  • "I never asked for anything except a purple light saber. George said, 'Well, light sabers are either red or green.' I said, 'Yeah, but I would like a purple one'."
  • "I've never been to jail. I've never been arrested. I've never been locked up. I'm a good son, a good father, a good husband―I've been married to the same woman for thirty years. I'm a good friend. I finished college, I have my education, I believe in education, I donate money anonymously. So when people criticize the kind of characters that I play onscreen, I go, 'You know, that's part of a story,'."
  • "I went to the movies a lot when I was a kid. That was my joy. Saturday mornings, my mom kicked me out of the house, I went to the movies at nine in the morning and watched cartoons and serials and the double-feature horror picture, and then I would meet her later for the adult stuff. So I love movies that way. So I'll do a movie like Snakes on a Plane, and I'll do a film that's very serious. And I'll do a comedy, because it's there."
  • "Want to know what the 'L.' in Samuel L. Jackson means? None of your fucking business."
  • "I heard that you can do what ever you want in International Waters, that's why I filled my Jacuzzi with International Water."
  • "I don't understand these actors who talk about how difficult it is to act with nothing there. I was an only child so most of the time I was always playing against something that didn't exist. It's called using your imagination."
  • "I was not the cool guy growing up. I was bookish. I had a stutter. I wasn't in the streets with all the other kids. I didn't dress cool or do cool shit. I played the trumpet, flute and French horn in the marching band and had great style on the field when we performed, but that wasn't the cool thing to do. I was popular because I was funny. I definitely didn't have the hot chicks."
  • "I'm not trying to change the world. I'm just trying to entertain people."
  • "I don't have that directing thing. I don't want to be out there setting up shots all day. I like to act. I read the script and sign the contract. I like hanging out in my trailer watching Judge Judy and eating sandwiches."

External Links[]

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