Samuel Leroy Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is an
American film and
television actor. After Jackson became involved with the
Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at
Morehouse College, and then, films. He had several small roles, before meeting his mentor,
Morgan Freeman, and the director
Spike Lee. In 1991, after gaining critical acclaim for his role in
Jungle Fever, he joined the casts of more films, including
Goodfellas,
Patriot Games,
Amos & Andrew,
True Romance and
Jurassic Park. In 1994, he was cast as Jules Winnfield in
Pulp Fiction, where he received several award nominations and critical acclaim.
Jackson has since appeared in over 100 films including
Die Hard with a Vengeance,
The 51st State,
Jackie Brown,
The Incredibles,
Black Snake Moan,
Snakes on a Plane, as well as the
Star Wars prequel trilogy. Jackson's many roles have made him one of the highest grossing actors at the box office. Jackson has won multiple awards throughout his career and has been portrayed in various forms of media including films, television series, and songs. In 1980 Jackson married
Latanya Richardson, with whom he has one daughter, Zoe.
Early life
Jackson was born in
Washington, D.C. He grew up as an only child in
Chattanooga, Tennessee with his mother, Elizabeth Jackson (
née Montgomery), who was a factory worker and later a supplies 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 had only met his father twice during his life.
Jackson attended Riverside High School in Chattanooga. Between the third and twelfth grades, 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 Theatre" before graduating in 1972.
