Biography - Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson is an excellent candidate for the title of Coolest Person on Earth, exuding a confidence, sharp wit, and a remarkable on-screen control that often makes his characters the most memorable of the films in which he appears. The Academy Award nominated icon consistently plays off his most famous acting ticks – a tremendously commanding voice and a unique ability to make practically any one-liner come off as doctrine.

Jackson was born in Washington, D.C. on December 21, 1948, and was raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee by his mother and maternal grandparents. He attended a segregated school, and was interested in the arts from a young age, playing french horn and trumpet in addition to acting. At Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, Jackson earned a B.A. in Drama in 1972 and was very active in civil rights demonstrations and protests. He moved to New York City soon after college, and spent a decade as a successful stage actor. His film career took off in the late 80s, when he gave brief but memorable turns in the Eddie Murphy comedy “Coming to America” and in Spike Lee’s “School Daze”.

Since Jackson’s performance in Spike Lee’s terrific “Do the Right Thing” in 1989, the actor has been extraordinarily prolific, appearing in well over 50 films since 1990. Jackson’s most well known performances are in the films of Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino, and the latter’s 1994 modern classic “Pulp Fiction” earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Lee’s “Jungle Fever” remains one of his most nuanced performances, and in 1997 Jackson practically carried Tarantino’s somewhat dull “Jackie Brown” with a hilariously energetic, expletive-ridden role as arms dealer Ordell Robbie. It’s useless to try to list his other memorable performances in the 90s, since few actors gather as many in their entire lives. Especially notable is his amusingly bored turn in Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park”, his co-starring role with Bruce Willis in “Die Hard: With a Vengeance”, and his underrated dramatic performances in “The Negotiator” and “The Red Violin”.

Consistently ranked in the top ten most successful actors in history, Jackson has become an even bigger star in the 2000s, appearing in a string of financially successful Hollywood hits that have cemented his status as one of the country’s biggest box office draws. These include “xXx”, “S.W.A.T.”, “Unbreakable”, “Changing Lanes”, “Coach Carter”, and the animated hit “The Incredibles”. However, his most visible role has been Jedi Master Mace Windu in George Lucas’s three “Star Wars” prequels. After a minor part in “The Phantom Menace”, the character was beefed up for the last two films, and Jackson’s brief scenes in “Attack of the Clones” helped save face for the otherwise laughable proceedings. In 2006 Jackson will star in the hotly anticipated genre flick “Snakes on a Plane” and Craig Brewer’s drama “Black Snake Moan” with Christina Ricci.