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Biography

Samuel Leroy Jackson (December 21, 1948) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. Jackson came to fame in the early 1990s, after a series of well-reviewed performances, and has since become a major film star and cultural icon, having appeared in a large number of high-grossing films. He is currently working on seven films that will debut in 2006 and 2007. His most recent film, Snakes on a Plane, was released in August of 2006 and his next film, the drama Home of the Brave, will be released on December 15, 2006.

Jackson's films have grossed between $2.1 billion (as either lead actor or co-lead actor) and $3.8 billion, (films that feature Jackson as either lead or supporting) placing him as either the 7th highest-grossing actor (as strictly lead) or the 1st highest-grossing actor (counting supporting roles) of all time.

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 attended Riverside High a segregated school where, between the third and twelfth 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 that involved taking over a campus space; civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Sr. was inadvertently held in the building during the takeover. Jackson previously served as an usher at one of the funeral services for Martin Luther King, Jr., held in the quadrangle of the College.

After taking a public speaking class and appearing in a version of The Threepenny Opera at his college, 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.

Jackson began appearing in feature films in the late 1980s, including a brief role 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 (for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor) and Jackie Brown, the Spike Lee movies Do The Right Thing, Mo' Better Blues and Jungle Fever, his role in the 2000 version of Shaft and as Jedi Mace Windu in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Windu's purple lightsaber in the Star Wars prequels was the result of Jackson's suggestion; he wanted to be sure that his character would stand out in a crowded battle scene.

Jackson has noted that he chooses roles that are "exciting to watch" and have an "interesting character inside of a story", and that in his roles he wants to "do things [he hasn't] done, things [he] saw as a kid and wanted to do and now have an opportunity to do". He is usually cast in roles that involve a cool, controlled, "in-the-know" character, many of whom have an aggressive nature. His roles almost always involve a memorable line delivery, many of which are heavily laced with profanity which has over the years become an inadvertent source of humor for many Jackson fans. Jackson's trademark voice inflection lends heavily to this attribute. Jackson is bald in real life, but enjoys wearing unusual wigs in his films. On June 13, 2000, Jackson was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame which can be found at 7018 Hollywood Blvd.

In 2005, Jackson publicly turned down an offer to co-star in rapper 50 Cent's acting debut, citing that he did not want to lend credence to what he believed was 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". However, in November 2006, Jackson will appear with 50 Cent in the film Home of the Brave.

On January 30, 2006, Jackson was honored with a hand and footprint ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theatre; he is the seventh African American and 191st actor to be recognized in this manner. Jackson's most recent film, released on August 18, 2006, is Snakes on a Plane, a thriller that has generated interest based on its title. Jackson has admitted that the film's title was the reason he agreed to star in it, specifying that "Snakes on a Plane. You either want to see that, or you don't". Jackson, who has expressed interest in a sequel to the film, insisted that explicit violent and sexual content be inserted into the film, to raise its appeal to audiences. To build anticipation for the film, he also guest-starred as himself in the 2006 music video Snakes on a Plane (Bring It) by Cobra Starship. In a review of the film, the Syracuse Post-Standard's film critic noted that Jackson portrays "his usual no-nonsense authority figure" in the film.

Jackson's upcoming films include Home of the Brave, a post-Iraq War drama co-starring rapper 50 Cent, Farce of the Penguins, a parody on the popular documentary March of the Penguins, in which Jackson has what he describes as a "Morgan Freeman role",and Jumper, a sci-fi thriller co-starring Hayden Christensen and based on the novel by Steven Gould. Jackson has indicated that he would like to appear in a "pure horror film" for his next role.


––Wikipedia
Filmography
Freedomland
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Man Film, The