Samuel L. Jackson

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. Personal life Jackson is married to actress Latanya Richardson, whom he met while attending Morehouse College. The couple, who live in Los Angeles, California, have a daughter, Zoe, born in 1982, who is in culinary school. Jackson is an avid basketball fan, and especially enjoys the Harlem Globetrotters and the Toronto Raptors. He also became an avid Liverpool F.C. fan after filming the movie The 51st State in Liverpool, England.

Jackson enjoys playing golf, a game he has been reported to have become very proficient at; he has stated that if he had to choose any other career, he would be "on the PGA playing golf". He is a comic book and anime fan and can be seen reading a copy of the comic book 100 Bullets in the music video for Snakes on a Plane by Cobra Starship.

Jackson initially went to Morehouse College to major in Architecture, but decided to change his major to Drama after taking a public speaking class and appearing in a version of The Threepenny Opera. Jackson began acting in multiple plays including Home and A Soldier's Play. He landed himself in several TV films, and his first feature film was in Together for Days. After these initial roles, Jackson proceeded to move from Atlanta to New York City in 1976 and spent the next decade appearing in stage plays such as The Piano Lesson and Two Trains Running which both premiered at the Yale Repertory Theater. At this point in his early career, Jackson developed alcohol and cocaine addictions, resulting in him being unable to proceed with the two plays as they continued to Broadway.

After completing these films, Jackson's cocaine addiction continued to increase to the point where he overdosed, and his family entered him into a New York rehab clinic. When he successfully completed rehab, Jackson acted in Jungle Fever, as the crack cocaine addict brother to the relatively new actor Wesley Snipes, a role which Jackson called cathartic as he was recovering from his addiction.The film was so acclaimed that the 1991 Cannes Film Festival awarded a special "Supporting Actor" award just for him. After this role, Jackson became involved with multiple film requests, including Strictly Business, Juice, Patriot Games, and then moved on to two comedies: National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 and Amos & Andrew. After rapid involvement in these films, Jackson worked with director Steven Spielberg in Jurassic Park. He played a major role in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. The film was Jackson's most notable role, mainly for his monologues and one-liners along with co-star John Travolta. The film earned Jackson an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor as well as a Golden Globe nomination and a BAFTA Best Supporting Actor award win. With a succession of unsuccessful films such as Kiss of Death, The Great White Hype, and Losing Isaiah, Jackson began to receive poor reviews from critics who had praised his performance in Pulp Fiction. This ended with his involvement in the two successful box office films A Time To Kill, where he depicted a father who is put on trial for killing two men who raped his daughter, and Die Hard with a Vengeance, co-starring along side Bruce Willis in the third installment of the Die Hard series. For A Time to Kill, Jackson earned a NAACP Image for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture and a Golden Globe nomination for a Best Supporting Actor. Quickly becoming a box office star.

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

Jackson married actress Latanya Richardson in 1980, whom he met while attending Morehouse College. The couple, who live in Los Angeles, California, have a daughter, Zoe, born in 1982.

Jackson is a keen basketball fan, and especially favors the Toronto Raptors and the Harlem Globetrotters. He also became a keen Liverpool F.C. fan after filming the movie The 51st State in Liverpool, England. Jackson enjoys playing golf, a game he has been reported to have become very proficient at. He has stated that if he had to choose any other career, he would be "on the PGA playing golf" and that it is the only place where he "can go dressed as a pimp and fit in perfectly". Jackson has also stated in an interview that he has a clause in his film contracts that allows him to play golf twice a week. Jackson is an active chess player and has won regional tournaments in Chicago,IL, Madison, WI and Los Angeles, CA.

Jackson has revealed in an interview that he sees every one of his movies in theaters with paying customers claiming that "Even during my theater years, I wished I could watch the plays I was in—while I was in them! I dig watching myself work." He also enjoys collecting the action figures of the characters he portrays in his films including Jules Winnfield, Shaft, Mace Windu, and Frozone.

Jackson is bald in real life, but enjoys wearing unusual wigs in his films. For the film Black Snake Moan, he was allowed to choose the hairstyle he wanted for his character. He is a comic book and anime fan.