Samuel L. Jackson Biography (1948?-)

Full name, Samuel Leroy Jackson; born December 21, 1948 (some sources cite 1949), in Washington, DC; raised in Chattanooga, TN; son of Elizabeth Jackson (a domestic worker and supply buyer); married LaTanya Richardson (an actress),1980; children: Zoe. Addresses: Agent: Toni Howard, International Creative Management, 8942 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211.; Manager: TheFirm, 9465 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.; Publicist: Lisa Kasteler, Wolf/Kasteler/Van Iden and Associates Public Relations, 335 North Maple Dr., Suite 351, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Actor, voice performer, producer
Birth Details: December 21, 1948?; Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Appearances
(As Sam Jackson) Stan, Together for Days (also known as Black Cream), Olas, 1972
Second gang member, Ragtime, Paramount, 1981
Eddie's uncle, Eddie Murphy Raw (also known as Raw), Paramount, 1987
Holdup man, Coming to America (also known as Prince in New York), Paramount, 1988
Leeds, School Daze, Columbia, 1988
(Uncredited) Criminal, Sea of Love, Universal, 1989
(As Sam Jackson) Mister Senor Love Daddy, Do the Right Thing, Universal, 1989
Dream blind man, The Exorcist III (also known as Exorcist III:The Legion and William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist III), TwentiethCentury-Fox, 1990
Madlock, Mo' Better Blues, Universal, 1990
Mickey, Betsy's Wedding, Buena Vista, 1990
Minister Garth, Def by Temptation, Troma, 1990
(As Sam Jackson) Nate Cabot, The Return of Superfly, Triton, 1990
Stacks Edwards, GoodFellas (also known as Goodfellas and Wise Guy), Warner Bros., 1990
Ulysses, A Shock to the System, Corsair, 1990
Gator Purify, Jungle Fever, Universal, 1991
(As Sam Jackson) Monroe, Strictly Business (also known as Go Natalie, Go Beverly), Warner Bros., 1991
B-Bop, Johnny Suede, Miramax, 1992
Greg Meeker, White Sands, Warner Bros., 1992
Lieutenant commander Robby Jackson, Patriot Games, Paramount, 1992
Marshall, Fathers & Sons, Pacific Pictures, 1992
Mr. Simpson, Jumping at the Boneyard, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1992
Trip, Juice (also known as Angel Town 2), Paramount, 1992
Andrew Sterling, Amos & Andrew, Columbia, 1993
Big Don, True Romance (also known as Breakaway), Warner Bros., 1993
(As Sam Jackson) Dre, The Meteor Man, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1993
Ray Arnold, Jurassic Park (also known as JP), Universal, 1993
Sergeant Wes Luger, National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 (also knownas Loaded Weapon 1), New Line Cinema, 1993
Tat Lawson, Menace II Society, New Line Cinema, 1993
Dale Deveaux, The New Age, Warner Bros., 1994
Jules Winnfield, Pulp Fiction, Miramax, 1994
Mail carrier, Hail Caesar, Trimark Pictures, 1994
Sam, Fresh, Miramax, 1994
Calvin Hart, Kiss of Death, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1995
Kadar Lewis, Losing Isaiah, Paramount, 1995
(As Sam Jackson) Narrator, To Be a Black Man (documentary short film), NDG Ideas, 1995
Voice of Rumbo, Fluke, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1995
Zeus Carver, Die Hard: With a Vengeance (also known as Die Hard3 and Simon Says), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1995
Carl Lee Hailey, A Time to Kill, Warner Bros., 1996
Colonel Ron, The Search for One-Eye Jimmy, Northern Arts Entertainment, 1996
Jimmy, Hard Eight (also known as Sydney), Samuel Goldwyn, 1996
Mitch Hennessey, The Long Kiss Goodnight, New Line Cinema, 1996
Reverend Fred Sultan, The Great White Hype, Twentieth Century-Fox,1996
Wendell, Trees Lounge, Orion Classics, 1996
Dr. Harry Adams, Sphere, Warner Bros., 1997
Dr. Louis Batiste, Eve's Bayou, Trimark Pictures, 1997
Ordell Robbie, Jackie Brown (also known as Rum Punch), Miramax, 1997
Trevor Garfield, 187 (also known as One Eight Seven), Warner Bros., 1997
(Uncredited) Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's, Northern Arts Entertainment, 1997
(In archive footage) You're Still Not Fooling Anybody, 1997
Charles Morritz, The Red Violin (also known as Il violino rosso and Le violon rouge), New Line Cinema, 1998
(Uncredited) Hejira Henry, Out of Sight, Universal, 1998
Lieutenant Danny Roman, The Negotiator (also known as Verhandlungssache), Warner Bros., 1998
Mace Windu, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (also known as The Phantom Menace and Star Wars: Episode I--The Phantom Menace), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1999
Russell Franklin, Deep Blue Sea, Warner Bros., 1999, also appearedin audio commentary for DVD
Voice of Turner, Our Friend, Martin (live action and animated), Twentieth Century-Fox Home Entertainment, 1999
Forever Hollywood (short documentary film), 1999
Colonel Terry L. Childers, Rules of Engagement (also known as Les regles d'engagement and Rules--Sekunden der Entscheidung), Paramount, 2000
Elijah Price, Unbreakable, Buena Vista, 2000
John Shaft (title role), Shaft (also known as Shaft--Noch Fragen?), Paramount, 2000
Willie Nutter, Any Given Wednesday, Buena Vista, 2000
Romulus Ledbetter, The Caveman's Valentine (also known as The Sign of the Killer), MCA/Universal, 2001
Agent Augustus Gibbons, XXX (also known as Triple X), Columbia, 2002
Doyle Gipson, Changing Lanes, Paramount, 2002
Elmo McElroy, The 51st State (also known as Formula 51 andFormule 51), Screen Gems, 2002
Jack Friar, The House on Turk Street (also known as No Good Deed), Mac Releasing, 2002
Mace Windu, Star Wars: Episode II--Attack of the Clones (also known as Star Wars II and Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones; alsoreleased as Attack of the Clones: The IMAX Experience), Twentieth Century-Fox, 2002
The Comeback, 2002
Sergeant Dan "Hondo" Harrelson, S.W.A.T., Columbia, 2003
Sergeant Nathan West, Basic (also known as Formation extreme), Columbia, 2003
Coach Ken Carter, Coach Carter, Paramount, 2004
John Mills, Twisted (also known as Blackout), Paramount, 2004
Langston Whitfield, Country of My Skull: Guilt, Sorrow, and the Limitsof Forgiveness in the New South Africa (also known as Country of My Skull and In My Country), Sony Pictures Classics, 2004
Rufus, Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (also known as Kill Bill and Vol. 2), Miramax, 2004
Voice of Lucius Best/Frozone, The Incredibles (animated), Buena Vista/Walt Disney, 2004
Agent Augustus Gibbons, XXX: State of the Union, Columbia, 2005
Coach Ken Carter (title role), Coach Carter (also known as AllDay Long), Paramount, 2005
Lorenzo Council, Freedomland, Paramount, 2005
Mace Windu, Star Wars: Episode III--Revenge of the Sith (also known as Star Wars: Episode III), Twentieth Century-Fox, 2005
Vann, The Man, New Line Cinema, 2005
The Namesake, Miramax, 2006
Film Executive Producer
The Caveman's Valentine (also known as The Sign of the Killer), MCA/Universal, 2001
The 51st State (also known as Formula 51 and Formule 51), Screen Gems, 2002
Film Producer
Eve's Bayou, Trimark Pictures, 1997
Film Work
Other
Automated dialog replacement voice, Mystery Train, Orion, 1989
Television Appearances
Documentary Miniseries
Voice, Jazz, PBS, 2001
America beyond the Color Line with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., PBS, 2002
Voice of Jack Johnson, Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, PBS, 2005
Movies
(As Samuel Jackson) George Harris, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Showtime, 1987
Calvin Fredericks, Dead Man Out (also known as Dead Man Walking), HBO, 1989
Reverend Bob McClain, Common Ground, CBS, 1990
Hatcher, Dead and Alive: The Race for Gus Farace (also known as Dead and Alive, In the Line of Duty: Mob Justice, and Mob Justice), ABC, 1991

The steward, "Simple Justice," The American Experience, PBS, 1993
Jamaal, Against the Wall (also known as Attica! Attica! andAttica: Line of Fire), HBO, 1994
Richard Greener, Assault at West Point (also known as Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker and Conduct Unbecoming: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker), Showtime, 1994
Himself, Coaching the Minors, ESPN, 2003
Specials
"The Displaced Person," American Short Story, PBS, 1976
"The Trial of the Moke," Great Performances, PBS, 1978
Making "Do the Right Thing," 1989
The janitor, Spike & Co: Do It a Cappella, PBS, 1990
Robby Jackson, The Secret World of Spying, 1992
Quentin Tarantino: Hollywood's Boy Wonder, BBC, 1994
Inside the Academy Awards, TNT, 1995
Narrator, The Journey of the African-American Athlete, HBO, 1996
AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Movies, CBS, 1998
(In archive footage) Warner Bros. 75th Anniversary: No Guts, No Glory, 1998
Host, From Star Wars to Star Wars: The Story of Industrial Light &Magic, Fox, 1999
Panelist, 9 Movie Moments that Made the '90s, MTV, 1999
Himself, The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money, Bravo, 1999
An Evening of Stars: A Celebration of Educational Excellence Benefitting the United Negro College Fund, syndicated, 1999
Narrator, Opening the Tombs of the Golden Mummies Live, Fox, 2000
Himself, AFI's 100 Years, 100 Thrills: America's Most Heart-Pounding Movies, CBS, 2001
Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration, CBS, 2001
(Uncredited) R2-D2: Beneath the Dome, 2001
Host, Middle School Confessions, HBO Family Channel, 2002
(In archive footage) Lieutenant commander Robby Jackson, Patriot Games: Up Close, 2002
Presenter, Muhammad Ali's All-Star 60th Birthday Celebration!, CBS, 2002
Reader, Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives, HBO, 2003
Soul Man: Isaac Hayes, 2003
Himself, The N-Word, Trio, 2004
Hollywood Legenden, 2004
John Travolta: The Inside Story, 2004
Awards Presentations
Presenter, The 16th Annual CableACE Awards, TNT, 1995
Presenter, The 67th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1995
The American Film Institute Salute to Steven Spielberg (also knownas The American Film Institute Life Achievement Award), NBC, 1995
Presenter, The 1997 MTV Movie Awards, MTV, 1997
Host, The 1998 MTV Movie Awards, MTV, 1998
Presenter, The 70th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1998
Host, The 1999 ESPY Awards, ESPN, 1999
Presenter, The VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards, VH1, 1999
The 1999 MTV Movie Awards, MTV, 1999
Presenter, The First Annual Laureus Sports Awards, TNT, 2000
Presenter, 2000 MTV Movie Awards, MTV, 2000
Presenter, The 72nd Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 2000
2000 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, Fox, 2000
Host, The 2001 ESPY Awards, ESPN, 2001
Brit Awards 2001, 2001
The 73rd Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 2001
The 2001 Essence Awards, Fox, 2001
The 2001 MTV Movie Awards, MTV, 2001
Host, ESPY Awards (also known as The 2002 ESPY Awards), ESPN, 2002
Host, Hollywood Salutes Nicolas Cage: An American Cinematheque Tribute, TNT, 2002
Presenter, AFI Awards 2001, CBS, 2002
The 74th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 2002
Presenter, The 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards, NBC, 2003
Himself, E! Entertainer of the Year 2003, E! Entertainment Television, 2003
The 2003 MTV Movie Awards, MTV, 2003
Presenter, The 46th Annual Grammy Awards, CBS, 2004
Presenter and narrator, The 2004 ESPY Awards (also known as The12th Annual ESPY Awards), ESPN, 2004
Episodic
Movin' On, NBC, 1974
Leroy Clancy, "White Knight," Spenser: For Hire, ABC, 1986
Ned, "My Enemy, My Friend," Spenser: For Hire, ABC, 1987
Brother Elvis, "Here's Why You Should Always Make Your Bed in the Morning," The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, NBC and Lifetime, 1989
"Intensive Care," A Man Called Hawk, ABC, 1989
Lawrence "Larry" (some sources cite Lenny) Melrose, "Hearts and Diamonds," Roc, Fox, 1991
Louis Taggart, "The Violence of Summer," Law & Order, NBC, 1991
Reggie Jenkins, "Ghost Story: Part 1," Ghostwriter, PBS, 1992
Reggie Jenkins, "Who Burned Mr. Brinker's Store?: Part 1," Ghostwriter, PBS, 1992
Walter, "Since Walter," I'll Fly Away, NBC, 1992
Guest, The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS, multiple appearances, between 1994 and 2003
Voice of the mayor, "The Pied Piper," Happily Ever After: Fairy Talesfor Every Child (animated), HBO, 1995
Guest, TFI Friday, 1996
Guest, "The Police," Dennis Miller Live, HBO, 1997
Guest, Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, ABC, 1997
Himself, "Club Sandwiches Are Not Seals," Road Rules, MTV, 1998
Guest, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 1998
Guest host, Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's Saturday Night, Saturday Night, and SNL), NBC, 1998
Himself, "Samuel L. Jackson," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 1999
Himself, Intimate Portrait: Pam Grier, Lifetime, 1999
Guest, The Howard Stern Show, E! Entertainment Television, 2000
(Uncredited) John Shaft, WWF Smackdown!, UPN, 2000
Himself, "Giorgio Armani: Deconstructing Fashion," Biography, Artsand Entertainment, 2001
Himself, "Reginald Veljohnson: His Family Matters," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 2001
Guest, The Big Breakfast, Channel 4, 2001
Guest, Parkinson, BBC, 2001
Voice of Angel Joseph, "Seven Days of Kwanzaa," The Proud Family (animated), The Disney Channel, 2001
Guest, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NBC, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
David, "Camp Nowhere," The Nightmare Room, 2002
Guest, "25 Toughest Stars," Rank, E! Entertainment Television, 2002
Guest, The Frank Skinner Show, Independent Television, 2002
Guest, Inside the Actors Studio, Bravo, 2002
Guest, Richard and Judy, Channel 4, 2002
Guest, V Graham Norton, Channel 4, 2002
Guest, The View, ABC, 2002
Guest, Total Request Live (also known as Total Request andTRL), MTV, 2002 and 2004
Himself, "John Travolta," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 2003
Himself, "Snoop Hangs with S.W.A.T.," Doggy Fizzle Televizzle, MTV, 2003
Guest, "John Travolta," Revealed with Jules Asner, E! Entertainment Television, 2003
Guest, Banzai, Fox, 2003
Guest, Film 03, BBC, 2003
Guest, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, BBC, 2003
Guest, Tinseltotwn TV, 2003
(In archive footage) Celebrities Uncensored, E! Entertainment Television, 2003
Guest, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (also known as The DailyShow), Comedy Central, 2004
Guest, Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show (also known as Ellenand The Ellen DeGeneres Show), syndicated, 2004
Guest, Film 04, BBC, 2004
Guest, GMTV, Independent Television, 2004
Guest, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, NBC, 2004
Voice, Coming Attractions, multiple episodes, E! Entertainment Television, 2004
Appeared in episodes of E! Celebrity Profile (also known as Celebrity Profile), E! Entertainment Television; The Entertainment Business, Bravo; Golf 2000 with Peter Jacobsen, syndicated; and MovieHouse (also known as MTV's Movie House), MTV.
Other
Voice of fear, 2004: A Light Knight's Odyssey (animated), 2004
Stage Appearances
Lucky, Mobile Theatre: The Mighty Gents, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, Delacorte Theatre, New York City, 1979
Sergeant, Kiowa man, soldier, Klansman, and other roles, Mother Courage and Her Children, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, Estelle R. Newman Theatre, New York City, 1980
Cephus, Home, Negro Ensemble Company, Theatre Four, New York City,1981
Private Louis Henson, A Soldier's Play, Negro Ensemble Company, Theatre Four, between 1981 and 1983
Ohio Tip-Off, Center Stage Theatre, Baltimore, MD, 1983
Native Speech, Center Stage Theatre, 1984
Actor 7, The District Line, Negro Ensemble Company, Theatre Four,1984-1985
Lyons, Fences, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle, WA, 1985
Boy Willie, The Piano Lesson, Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven, CT, 1987
Sergeant Prince Logan, We: Part I-Sally/Part II-Prince, Negro Ensemble Company, Theatre Four, 1988
Wolf, Two Trains Running, Yale Repertory Theatre, 1989
Burners Frolic, Negro Ensemble Company, 1990
Jonquil, Negro Ensemble Company, 1990
Distant Fires, Coast Playhouse, Los Angeles, 1993
Appeared as the title role in Othello; appeared in Spell #7, New York Shakespeare Festival, New York City.
Radio Appearances
Guest, The Howard Stern Radio Show, 2000
RECORDINGS
Videos
(Uncredited) All Saints: The First Video, 1998
The Stars of Star Wars: Interviews from the Cast, IMC Vision, 1999
The Unauthorized Star Wars Story, Visual Entertainment, 1999
Host, Comic Books & Superheroes, 2001
Narrator, The Art of Action: Martial Arts in Motion Picture, Columbia/TriStar, 2002
Baadasssss Cinema, New Video Group, 2002
Jackie Brown: How It Went Down, Miramax Home Entertainment, 2002
The Making of "Changing Lanes" (also known as Behind the Scenesof "Changing Lanes"), 2002
Pulp Fiction: The Facts, Miramax Home Entertainment, 2002
XXX: A Filmmakers Diary, Columbia, 2003
Music Videos
"911 Is a Joke," by Public Enemy, 1990
"It's Alright (Send Me)," by Winans Phase 2, 1999
Video Games
Officer Frank Tenpenny, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (also knownas Grand Theft Auto V, GTA 4, and GTA: San Andreas), Rockstar Games, 2004

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 19, Gale, 1998
Dils, Tracey E., Samuel L. Jackson, Chelsea House, 2000
Hudson, Jeff, Samuel L. Jackson: The Unauthorised Biography, Virgin Publishing, 2004
International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 3: Actors and Actresses, 4th edition, St. James Press, 2000

Periodicals

Details, February, 1996
Ebony, August, 2003, pp. 170-74
Empire, Issue 75, 1995, pp. 54-56; October, 1997, p. 196; December, 1998, pp. 90-95
Entertainment Weekly, June 16, 2000, p. 24
Essence, May, 2002, pp. 140-43
Golf, November, 1998, p. 96
Harper's Bazaar, February, 1993
Jet, June 7, 1999, p. 54; July 21, 2003, p. 50
Los Angeles Times Magazine, June 11, 2000, pp. 12-15, 33-36
Maxim, May, 2002, pp. 120-21
Newsweek, June 5, 1995
New York, June 10, 1991
New York Times, June 9, 1991, p. H16; February 7, 1993, November 2, 1997
People Weekly, August 17, 1998, p. 110
Playboy, April, 1995, pp. 120-21, 132-34; June, 1999, pp. 55-68, 168-69
Premiere, May, 1992; June, 1995, pp. 92-96; June, 2002, pp. 70-71
Sight and Sound, Volume 6, issue 12, 1996, pp. 7-8
Sports Illustrated, July 8, 2002, p. 26
Time Out, September 11, 1996
Total Film, October, 2000, pp. 36-37
Variety, August 28, 2000, p. F22

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