Samuel L. Jackson

Season 8, Episode 816

Original Airdate: June 2, 2002

Born December 21, 1948 in Washington, D.C., Samuel L. Jackson grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He graduated from Atlanta's Morehouse College in 1972, where he majored in drama and met his future wife LaTanya Richardson, a Spellman College student.

His years at Morehouse also saw Jackson become involved in the black-power movement. In 1969, he was expelled for holding several members of the school's Board of Trustees captive to protest the lack of black representation on the board. After a two-year stint in California working as a social worker, Jackson was allowed to return to Morehouse and graduate.

Jackson and Richardson toured with the Black Image Theatre Company for several years before moving to Harlem in New York City in 1976. In New York, Jackson began acting in off-Broadway theater productions, such as Richard Wesly's The Mighty Gents.

In the early 80s, Jackson met Spike Lee, then a New York University film student. The two struck up a friendship and Jackson appeared in several of Lee's early works, including School Days, Do the Right Thing, Mo' Better Blues, and Jungle Fever.

Jackson's performance in Jungle Fever began to win him the attention of critics, as well as awards. At the Cannes Film Festival, a “Best Supporting Actor” category was created specifically to honor Jackson's work. He also was awarded a New York Film Critics Award.

Jackson continued to establish his reputation in films such as Menace II Society and Patriot Games, but his career-making role came in 1994, when he played Jules Winnfield in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. He was nominated for an Academy Award, but was beaten out by Martin Landau.