Actors - Samuel L. Jackson

Home > Listing Index > Actors > Samuel L. Jackson

	Actors - Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel Leroy Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. He is the highest grossing actor of all time, as the films he has appeared in have a combined gross of $3.8 billion .

Biography

Early life

Jackson was born in Washington, D.C. He grew up as an only child, in the factory town of Chattanooga, Tennessee with his mother, Elizabeth Jackson (a factory worker and later a supply buyer for a mental institution), and his maternal grandparents and extended family. His father lived away from the family in Kansas City, Missouri and later died from alcoholism. Jackson went to a segregated school where, between 3rd and 12th grade, he played the French horn and trumpet in the school orchestra. He later attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, where he co-founded the "Just Us Theater". Jackson was expelled from the college for two years, although he did receive a Bachelor of Arts in Drama in 1972.

While attending Morehouse, Jackson, along with several fellow students, participated in a demonstration, taking over a campus space. Martin Luther King, Sr. was in the administration building during the takeover, and wasn't able to get out because of the students' demonstration. . The protestors released the elder King when he complained of chest pains.

Jackson appeared in a few minor acting roles, including television work, and in 1976 moved to New York City, spending the next decade appearing in stage plays.

Career

Jackson began appearing in feature films in the late 1980s, including a brief but memorable appearance in the 1988 Eddie Murphy comedy Coming to America
, playing a shotgun-toting robber. His performance in Jungle Fever
was so acclaimed that the 1991 Cannes Film Festival created a "Supporting Actor" award just for him. Along with that award, he has won many others including a Silver Berlin Bear, A BAFTA Film Award, and two Independent Spirit Awards.

Jackson is perhaps best known for his roles in the Quentin Tarantino movies Pulp Fiction
and Jackie Brown, the Spike Lee movies Do The Right Thing, Mo' Better Blues
and Jungle Fever
and as Jedi Mace Windu in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. He is usually cast in roles that involve a cool, controlled, "in-the-know" character. His roles almost always involve a memorable line delivery; Jackson's trademark voice inflection lend heavily to this attribute.

In 1995, Jackson received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as "Jules Winnfield" in 1994's Pulp Fiction
.

On June 13th, 2000, Jackson was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame which can be found at 7018 Hollywood Blvd.

In 2005, Jackson publically turned down an offer to co-star in rapper 50 Cent's acting debut , citing that he did not want to lend credence to an unproven actor. Film critic Roger Ebert wrote of Jackson's decision: "Like Bill Cosby, Jackson is arguing against the anti-intellectual message that success for young black males is better sought in the worlds of rap and sports than in the classroom" .

On January 30th, 2006, Jackson was honored with a hand and footprint ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theatre; he is the 7th African American and 191st actor to be recognized in this manner. Jackson's next film will be Snakes on a Plane
, a thriller scheduled for release on August 18, 2006. The film has generated interest based on its title, and Jackson has admitted that the film's title was the reason he agreed to star in it, saying "Snakes on a Plane. You either want to see that, or you don't".

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Samuel L. Jackson ]

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article Samuel L. Jackson; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.

Searches on eBay