Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is an American actor and producer. One of the most widely recognized actors of his generation, the films in which he has appeared have collectively grossed over $27 billion worldwide, making him the second highest-grossing actor of all time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave him an Academy Honorary Award in 2022 as "A cultural icon whose dynamic work has resonated across genres and generations and audiences worldwide". Jackson started his career on stage making his professional theatre debut in Mother Courage and her Children in 1980 at The Public Theatre. From 1981 to 1983 he originated the role of Private Louis Henderson in A Soldier's Play Off-Broadway. He also originated the role of Boy Willie in August Wilson's The Piano Lesson in 1987 at the Yale Repertory Theatre. He returned to the play in the 2022 Broadway revival playing Doaker Charles. Jackson early film roles include Coming to America (1988), Goodfellas (1990), Patriot Games (1992), Juice (1992), True Romance (1993), and Jurassic Park (1993), Menace II Society (1993), and Fresh (1994). His collaborations with Spike Lee led to greater prominence with films such as School Daze (1988), Do the Right Thing (1989), Mo' Better Blues (1990), Jungle Fever (1991), Oldboy (2013), and Chi-Raq (2015). Jackson's breakout role was in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994) which earned him a BAFTA Award win and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He further collaborated with Tarantino, acting in Jackie Brown (1997), Django Unchained (2012), and The Hateful Eight (2015). He's known for having appeared in a number of big-budget films, including Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), A Time to Kill (1996), The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996), The Negotiator (1997), Deep Blue Sea (1999), Unbreakable (2000), Shaft (2000) and its reboot (2019), XXX (2002), S.W.A.T. (2003), Coach Carter (2005), Snakes on a Plane (2006), Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), Kong: Skull Island (2017), and Glass (2019). He also gained widespread recognition as the Jedi Mace Windu in the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999–2005), later voicing the role in the animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) and the video game Lego Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2011). With his permission, his likeness was used for the Ultimate version of the Marvel Comics character Nick Fury; he subsequently played Fury in 11 Marvel Cinematic Universe films, beginning with a cameo appearance in Iron Man (2008), as well as guest-starring in the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. He will reprise this role in the upcoming Disney+ series Secret Invasion, which is set to premiere on June 21, 2023. Jackson has provided his voice for several animated films, documentaries, television series, and video games, including Lucius Best / Frozone in the Pixar films The Incredibles (2004) and Incredibles 2 (2018).
Known For
Credits
- 2025 · The Unholy Trinity as St. Christopher
- 2024 · The Piano Lesson as Doaker Charles
- 2024 · Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist as Frank Moten
- 2024 · The Garfield Movie as Vic (voice)
- 2024 · Damaged as Dan Lawson
- 2024 · Argylle as Alfie
- 2023 · The Marvels as Nick Fury
- 2023 · The Kill Room as Gordon
- 2023 · Secret Invasion as Nick Fury
- 2023 · Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur as Nick Fury (voice)
- 2022 · The Jennifer Hudson Show as
- 2022 · Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank as Jimbo (voice)
- 2022 · Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home as Self (archive footage)
- 2022 · The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey as Ptolemy Grey
- 2022 · JANET JACKSON. as Self
- 2022 · The Fix as Narrator (voice)
- 2021 · The Protégé as Moody
- 2021 · What If...? as Nick Fury (voice)
- 2021 · What If...? as Sir Fury (voice)
- 2021 · Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard as Darius Kincaid
- 2021 · Spiral: From the Book of Saw as Marcus Banks
- 2021 · Amend: The Fight for America as Self
- 2021 · Marvel Studios Legends as Nick Fury (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 2020 · Death to 2020 as Dash Bracket
- 2020 · Beyond the Spotlight as
- 2020 · Enslaved as Self
- 2020 · Staged as Sam
- 2020 · Some Good News as Voice Over
- 2020 · The Banker as Joe Morris
- 2020 · The Last Full Measure as Takoda
- 2019 · Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker as Mace Windu (voice)
- 2019 · The Movies That Made Us as Self (archive footage)
- 2019 · QT8: The First Eight as Self (uncredited)
- 2019 · Tamron Hall as Self - Guest
- 2019 · Spider-Man: Far From Home as Nick Fury
- 2019 · Shaft as John Shaft
- 2019 · Avengers: Endgame as Nick Fury
- 2019 · Captain Marvel as Nick Fury
- 2019 · Glass as Elijah Price / Mr. Glass
- 2018 · Life Itself as Self
- 2018 · Quincy as Self
- 2018 · Incredibles 2 as Lucius Best / Frozone (voice)
- 2018 · Avengers: Infinity War as Nick Fury (uncredited)
- 2017 · The Hitman's Bodyguard as Darius Kincaid
- 2017 · Carpool Karaoke: The Series as Self
- 2017 · The Words That Built America as Self - Reader: Declaration of Independence
- 2017 · Kong: Skull Island as Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard
- 2017 · I Am Not Your Negro as Narrator (voice)
- 2017 · xXx: Return of Xander Cage as Agent Augustus Gibbons
- 2016 · Eating You Alive as Self
- 2016 · Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children as Barron
- 2016 · Cell as Thomas 'Tom' McCourt
- 2016 · The Legend of Tarzan as George Washington Williams
- 2015 · The Hateful Eight as Major Marquis Warren
- 2015 · Chi-Raq as Dolmedes
- 2015 · The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Self
- 2015 · The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as
- 2015 · Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter as Self
- 2015 · Barely Lethal as Hardman
- 2015 · Avengers: Age of Ultron as Nick Fury
- 2015 · Big Game as US President William Alan Moore
- 2015 · Kingsman: The Secret Service as Valentine
- 2014 · Variety Studio: Actors on Actors as Self
- 2014 · Kite as Lieutenant Karl Aker
- 2014 · Captain America: The Winter Soldier as Nick Fury
- 2014 · Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe as Self
- 2014 · The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Self
- 2014 · RoboCop as Pat Novak
- 2013 · Oldboy as Chaney
- 2013 · Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Nick Fury
- 2013 · Turbo as Whiplash (voice)
- 2013 · Circus Halligalli as
- 2012 · Django Unchained as Stephen
- 2012 · The Avengers: A Visual Journey as Self
- 2012 · Zambezia as Tendai (voice)
- 2012 · The Avengers as Nick Fury
- 2012 · Finding Your Roots as Self
- 2012 · Honest Trailers as Mace Windu (archive footage)
- 2012 · Honest Trailers as Nick Fury (archive footage)
- 2012 · Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen as (archive footage)
- 2012 · Meeting Evil as Richie
- 2011 · Arena as Logan
- 2011 · Prohibition as Reader (voice)
- 2011 · The Jonathan Ross Show as Self
- 2011 · Captain America: The First Avenger as Nick Fury
- 2011 · Dynamo: Magician Impossible as Self
- 2011 · Thor as Nick Fury (uncredited)
- 2011 · African Cats as Narrator (voice)
- 2011 · Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair as Rufus
- 2011 · The Sunset Limited as Black
- 2010 · The Other Guys as P.K. Highsmith
- 2010 · Unthinkable as Henry Harold 'H' Humphries
- 2010 · Iron Man 2 as Nick Fury
- 2009 · Mother and Child as Paul
- 2009 · Afro Samurai: Resurrection as Afro / Ninja-Ninja (voice)
- 2009 · Astro Boy as Zog (voice)
- 2009 · Inglourious Basterds as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
- 2009 · Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
- 2009 · Alan Carr: Chatty Man as Self
- 2008 · The Spirit as Octopus
- 2008 · Soul Men as Louis Hinds
- 2008 · Star Wars: The Clone Wars as Mace Windu (voice) (archive sound)
- 2008 · Lakeview Terrace as Abel Turner
- 2008 · Star Wars: The Clone Wars as Mace Windu (voice)
- 2008 · Iron Man as Nick Fury (uncredited)
- 2008 · The War as Narrator (voice)
- 2008 · Jumper as Roland
- 2007 · Cleaner as Tom Cutler
- 2007 · 1408 as Gerald Olin
- 2007 · The Graham Norton Show as Self
- 2007 · Afro Samurai as Afro Samurai / Ninja Ninja (voice)
- 2006 · Black Snake Moan as Lazarus
- 2006 · Snakes on a Plane as Neville Flynn
- 2006 · The Henry Rollins Show as
- 2006 · Freedomland as Lorenzo Council
- 2005 · Iconoclasts as Self
- 2005 · The Boondocks as
- 2005 · The Colbert Report as
- 2005 · The Man as Derrick Vann
- 2005 · Extras as Samuel L. Jackson
- 2005 · Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith as Mace Windu
- 2005 · xXx: State of the Union as Agent Augustus Gibbons
- 2005 · Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson as
- 2005 · Coach Carter as Ken Carter
- 2005 · The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson as An Officer of the Law
- 2005 · The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson as Self
- 2004 · The Incredibles as Lucius Best / Frozone (voice)
- 2004 · Kill Bill: Vol. 2 as Rufus
- 2004 · Twisted as John Mills
- 2004 · America Beyond the Color Line as Self
- 2003 · The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
- 2003 · S.W.A.T. as Sgt. Dan 'Hondo' Harrelson
- 2003 · Working Shakespeare as
- 2003 · Basic as Drill Sgt. SFC Nathan West
- 2003 · Real Time with Bill Maher as Himself
- 2003 · Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self
- 2002 · xXx as Agent Augustus Gibbons
- 2002 · No Good Deed as Jack Friar
- 2002 · Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones as Mace Windu
- 2002 · Changing Lanes as Doyle Gipson
- 2001 · The 51st State as Elmo McElroy
- 2001 · The Proud Family as Joseph (voice)
- 2000 · Unbreakable as Elijah Price
- 2000 · Shaft as John Shaft
- 2000 · Rules of Engagement as Col. Terry L. Childers
- 1999 · The Early Show as Self
- 1999 · Deep Blue Sea as Russell Franklin
- 1999 · Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace as Mace Windu
- 1998 · The Red Violin as Charles Morritz (Montréal)
- 1998 · TRL as
- 1998 · The Negotiator as Lt. Danny Roman
- 1998 · Out of Sight as Hejira Henry (uncredited)
- 1998 · Sphere as Dr. Harry Adams
- 1998 · Parkinson as Self
- 1997 · Jackie Brown as Ordell Robbie
- 1997 · The View as Self
- 1997 · The View as Self - Guest
- 1997 · One Eight Seven as Trevor Garfield
- 1997 · Leute heute as Self
- 1996 · The Long Kiss Goodnight as Mitch Henessey
- 1996 · A Time to Kill as Carl Lee Hailey
- 1996 · The Daily Show as Self
- 1996 · Hard Eight as Jimmy
- 1996 · Trees Lounge as Wendell
- 1995 · The Frank Skinner Show as Self
- 1995 · Fluke as Rumbo (voice)
- 1995 · Die Hard: With a Vengeance as Zeus Carver
- 1995 · Kiss of Death as Calvin Hart
- 1995 · Losing Isaiah as Kadar Lewis
- 1995 · Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as The Mayor (voice)
- 1994 · Pulp Fiction as Jules Winnfield
- 1994 · Inside the Actors Studio as Self
- 1994 · Fresh as Sam
- 1993 · Late Night with Conan O'Brien as Self - Guest
- 1993 · True Romance as Big Don
- 1993 · Jurassic Park as Arnold
- 1993 · Menace II Society as Tat Lawson
- 1993 · Raw as
- 1992 · Ghostwriter as Reggie Jenkins
- 1992 · HBO First Look as
- 1992 · MTV Movie & TV Awards as Self - Presenter
- 1992 · Patriot Games as Lt. Cmdr. Robby Jackson
- 1992 · The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as
- 1992 · Juice as Trip
- 1991 · Jungle Fever as Gator Purify
- 1990 · Law & Order as Attorney Louis Taggert
- 1990 · GoodFellas as Stacks Edwards
- 1990 · The Exorcist III as Dream Blind Man
- 1989 · Sea of Love as Black Guy
- 1989 · Do the Right Thing as Mister Señor Love Daddy
- 1988 · LIVE with Kelly and Mark as
- 1988 · Coming to America as Hold-Up Man
- 1988 · School Daze as Leeds
- 1987 · The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd as Brother Elvis
- 1985 · Spenser: For Hire as
- 1981 · Ragtime as Gang Member No. 2
- 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
- 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self - Cameo (uncredited)
- 1971 · Great Performances as Self
- 1956 · Tony Awards as Self - Presenter
- 1953 · The Oscars as Self
- 1953 · The Oscars as Self - Presenter
- 1952 · Today as Self
- Future · Acorns as
- 2025 · Afterburn as Valentine
- 2023 · Samuel L. Jackson: Did I Stutter? as self
- 2020 · A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote as Self
- 2017 · John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood as Self - Actor (archive footage)
- 2013 · Quentin Tarantino: 20 Years of Filmmaking as Self
- 2012 · I Ain't Scared of You: A Tribute to Bernie Mac as Self
- 2011 · On the Shoulders of Giants as
- 2010 · Under the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story as Elmo McElroy (archive footage)
- 2010 · Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey as Fear (voice)
- 2010 · Heavy Rain as
- 2009 · The Face is Familiar as Himself
- 2008 · Gospel Hill as Paul Malcolm
- 2006 · Farce of the Penguins as Narrator (voice)
- 2006 · The N Word as Self
- 2006 · Tarantino's Mind as Jules Winnfield / Rufus (archive footage)
- 2005 · My Date with Drew as Self (uncredited)
- 2005 · Mr. Incredible and Pals as Frozone (commentary voice)
- 2005 · George Lucas: Creating an Empire as Presenter/Self
- 2004 · Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson as Jack Johnson (voice)
- 2004 · Hollywood Legenden as Self
- 2002 · BaadAsssss Cinema as Self
- 2002 · The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies as Self - Narrator
- 2001 · R2-D2: Beneath the Dome as Self
- 1999 · From Star Wars to Star Wars: The Story of Industrial Light & Magic as Narrator / Host
- 1999 · Forever Hollywood as Self
- 1998 · Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's as Self
- 1994 · The Search for One-eye Jimmy as Colonel Ron
- 1991 · Dead and Alive: The Race for Gus Farace as Everett Hatcher
- 1991 · Strictly Business as Monroe
- 1991 · Jumpin' at the Boneyard as Mr. Simpson
- 1991 · Johnny Suede as B-Bop
- 1989 · Dead Man Out as Calvin Fredricks
- Future · Head Games as
- 1987 · Uncle Tom's Cabin as George
- 1977 · The Displaced Person as Sulk
- Future · The Garfield Movie 2 as Vic (voice)
- Future · Pulp Fiction: The Facts as Self (archive footage)
- Future · Last Meals as Walter
- Future · The Beast as
- Future · Just Play Dead as Jack Wolfe
- Future · St. Vincent as
- 2025 · Kendrick Lamar’s Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show as Uncle Sam
- 2025 · FireAid Benefit Concert as Self
- 2024 · The Piano Lesson: Legacy and a Vision as Self
- 2024 · American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special as Self
- 2023 · Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Secret Invasion as Self - 'Nick Fury'
- 2022 · Is That Black Enough for You?!? as Self
- 2021 · An Audience with Adele as Self
- 2021 · 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony as Self
- 2021 · Marvel Studios' 2021 Disney+ Day Special as Nick Fury (archive footage)
- 2021 · Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend as Self (archive footage)
- 2020 · #UNFIT: The Psychology of Donald Trump as Self (archive footage)
- 2020 · One World: Together at Home as Self
- 2019 · The Hateful Eight: Extended Version as Major Marquis Warren
- 2017 · Miracle on 42nd Street as self
- 2017 · Unicorn Store as The Salesman
- 2017 · Creating a King: Summoning a God as Self
- 2017 · Smokey Robinson: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song as Host
- 2016 · BET Presents Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration as Self
- 2015 · Star Wars: Evolution of the Lightsaber Duel as Self
- 2014 · Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee as Self
- 2014 · Reasonable Doubt as Clinton Davis
- 2014 · Face of Unity as Self
- 2013 · Everything Is Samuel L. Jackson's Fault as Self
- 2012 · Eddie Murphy: One Night Only as Self
- 2012 · The Samaritan as Foley
- 2011 · Young Jeezy: A Hustlerz Ambition as Narrator
- 2011 · Go the F**k to Sleep as Narrator (voice)
- 2011 · Return to Jurassic Park as Self
- 2010 · With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story as Self
- 2010 · In the Land of the Free... as Narrator
- 2009 · Uneven Fairways as Narrator
- 2008 · Critic as Self
- 2007 · Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story as Narrator
- 2007 · Resurrecting the Champ as Champ
- 2006 · Home of the Brave as William Marsh
- 2006 · Mais Bastidores de Hollywood as Self
- 2006 · 50 Films to See Before You Die as Self
- 2006 · Honor Deferred as Narrator
- 2005 · Coach Carter The Man Behind the Movie as Self
- 2005 · The Harlem Globetrotters: The Team That Changed the World as Self
- 2004 · In My Country as Langston Whitfield
- 2004 · John Travolta: The Inside Story as Self
- 2003 · Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives as
- 2002 · Jackie Brown: How It Went Down as Self
- 2002 · Middle School Confessions as Host
- 2001 · The 100 Greatest Films as Self
- 2001 · Comic Books & Superheroes as Self
- 2001 · The Caveman's Valentine as Romulus
- 2000 · Opening the Tombs of the Golden Mummies: Live as
- 2000 · Any Given Wednesday as Willie Nutter
- 2000 · Shaft: Still the Man as Self
- 1999 · Our Friend, Martin as Turner (voice)
- 1997 · Eve's Bayou as Louis Batiste
- 1996 · Shaquille O'Neal: Larger than Life as Narrator (voice)
- 1996 · The Great White Hype as Rev. Fred Sultan
- 1996 · The Journey of the African-American Athlete as Narrator
- 1995 · A Night to Die For as Self - Host
- 1994 · The New Age as Dale Deveaux
- 1994 · Hail Caesar as Mailman
- 1994 · Against the Wall as Jamaal
- 1994 · Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker as Richard Greener
- 1993 · Amos & Andrew as Andrew Sterling
- 1993 · National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 as Wes Luger
- 1992 · White Sands as Greg Meeker
- 1992 · Fathers & Sons as Marshall
- 1990 · The Return of Superfly as Nate Cabot
- 1990 · Mo' Better Blues as Madlock
- 1990 · Betsy's Wedding as Taxi Dispatcher (Mickey)
- 1990 · Common Ground as Rev. Bob McClair
- 1990 · Def by Temptation as Minister Garth
- 1990 · A Shock to the System as Ulysses
- 1990 · Spike Lee & Company: Do It a Cappella as The Janitor
- 1989 · Making 'Do the Right Thing' as Self
- 1987 · Eddie Murphy Raw as Eddie's Uncle
- 1987 · Magic Sticks as Bum
- 1980 · The Exterminator as Extra (uncredited)
- Future · Man of War as
- 1972 · Together for Days as Stan
- Future · The Honest Liar as Nick DeFranco
- Future · All Saints: The Video as Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Future · Untitled Hitman Thriller as Morris Stokes
- 1978 · The Trial of the Moke as Johnson Whittaker
- 1948 · Bambi-Verleihung as Self