Samuel Jackson

Samuel Jackson Profile

One of the most quoted and prolific actors of our time, Samuel L. Jackson has rewritten African Americans’ place in Hollywood through his unforgettable portrayals of strong intelligent characters. From Jules in Pulp Fiction to Marvel’s Nick Fury, Jackson has made permanent marks in pop culture with multiple roles.

As a boy, he was afflicted with a debilitating stutter, and initially took up acting only at the urging of his speech therapist. During the 1960s and 70s he was heavily involved in the civil rights movement as a protestor and later became a member of the Black Power Movement; he also served as an usher at Martin Luther King, Jr.’s funeral.

While doing theater work in New York, he struggled with an addiction to heroine and later, cocaine, eventually cumulating in an overdose that nearly left him dead. His wife and his best friend from high school got him into rehab, and upon getting clean, Jackson discovered a clear focus that captured him breakthrough roles in Jungle Fever, Patriot Games, and Jurassic Park.

After Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction made Jackson a household name, his career took on a momentum that has never slowed down. Jackson is the actor with the second highest gross film total in movie history. He has portrayed over 100 roles, and continues to make an average of 4 movies per year simply because he loves his job.

Jackson has participated in various fundraisers for Alzheimer’s and education.
Recently he has organized charity balls for his foundation “One for the Boys” which raises awareness about male cancers. He is an original member of Artists For A New South Africa, which works in the U.S. and South Africa to combat HIV/AIDS and assist children orphaned by the disease. The actor has made various trips to South Africa to help dig wells and build schools.

• View Extended/Alternate Bio

  Samuel Leroy Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is an American film and television actor and film producer. Often referred to as one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood, Samuel L. Jackson has made an indelible mark on American cinema in his riveting roles in hits such as Pulp Fiction where he earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor. With his body of work still growing, Jackson has appeared in more than 100 films.

  Jackson began acting in college and while attending Morehouse College in Atlanta, he became deeply involved in the Civil Rights movement, solidifying his interest in challenging racial issues. In 1969, he was briefly suspended for taking several members of the college′s board of trustees, including Martin Luther King, Sr., hostage during a sit-in to protest the absence of black trustees and a black studies curriculum.

  In 1980, Jackson married actress and sports channel producer LaTanya Richardson, whom he met while attending Morehouse College. The couple have a daughter, Zoe, born in 1982. In 2009, they started their own charitable organization to help support education. Jackson and Richardson live in Los Angeles, California.