Samuel L. Jackson

Background

Samuel Leroy Jackson was born in Washington, D.C. He grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and was raised by his mother, Elizabeth Jackson, as his father lived away from the family and later passed away from alcoholism. He attended many segregated schools before graduating from Riverside High School in Chattanooga. He graduated from the institute in 1972 and, at the same time, co-founded the theatre group, Just Us Theatre. He made his film debut in the blaxploitation film “Together for Days” in 1972, after performing in several plays, including “The Threepenny Opera” and “A Soldier’s Play.” Four years later, he appeared on the television series “Movin’ On.” He moved to New York City and spent some years appearing in stage plays, such as “Two Trains Running” and “The Piano Lesson.” Morgan Freeman is thought to have mentored him in his early years. In 1980, he married LaTanya Richardson, and the couple now has a daughter, named Zoe.

Later on in his career, he began to play notable roles in films like “School Daze” and “Do the Right Thing,” which were released in 1988 and 1989, respectively. In 1990, he appeared in “Goodfellas” in a minor role and then worked as a replacement on “The Cosby Show” for three years. From 1995 to 1996, he appeared in a string of box office flops, such as “Kiss of Death,” “Losing Isaiah,” and “The Great White Hype.” However, he quickly recovered by participating in popular films such as “Die Hard with a Vengeance” (1995) and “A Time to Kill” (1996), which reestablished him as a bankable star. In 1998, he played important roles in films like “Sphere,” “The Negotiator,” “The Red Violin,” and “Out of Sight.” In 1999, he starred in “Deep Blue Sea” and “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.” At the beginning of the new millennium, Jackson was part of successful films like “Rules of Engagement,” “Shaft,” and “Unbreakable.” From 2003 to 2005, he starred in “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,” “The Incredibles,” “The Man,” and “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith.”

In 2006, he starred in one of the year’s biggest offbeat films, “Snakes on a Plane.” To raise interest in the film, he was cast in the promotional music video for the movie. From 2008 to 2011, he played in different genres of films, such as “Iron Man,” “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” “Unthinkable,” “Iron Man 2,” “Captain America: The First Avenger,” and “Arena.” One of his greatest hits in the year 2012 was the Quentin Tarantino film “Django Unchained,” in which he played Stephen. In 2014, he portrayed the main villain in the action spy-comedy film “Kingsman: The Secret Service.” Jackson reprised his role as Nick Fury in the “Avengers” sequels, “Infinity War” and “Endgame.” Also in 2019, he again played Fury in the Marvel film “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” Jackson collaborated with Talib Kweli, Sticky Fingaz, Mad Lion, and K.R.S.-One on the song ‘I Can’t Breathe,’ which is about social justice and brutality in America.