Samuel L. Jackson is an American actor and film producer. A highly-prolific actor who has starred in over 150 film roles to date, Jackson's films have collectively grossed over $27 billion, making him the fourth highest-grossing live-action actor of all time as of 2026.

Jackson debuted on film with a leading role in the Michael Schultz-directed Together for Days (1972). His other early film appearances were minor roles in films, such as Ragtime (1981), Coming to America (1988), Do the Right Thing (1989), Goodfellas (1990) and The Exorcist III (1990). His breakthrough role was the crack-addict Gator in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever (1991), for which Jackson won a Special Jury Prize for Best Supporting Actor at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival. He appeared in Jurassic Park in 1993 and, a year later, starred in the Quentin Tarantino-directed Pulp Fiction. For the latter film, Jackson won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and a Golden Globe Award. In 1994, he was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in Against the Wall. The following year, he starred opposite Bruce Willis in Die Hard with a Vengeance. Jackson's performance in A Time to Kill (1996) garnered him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He then collaborated with Tarantino on Jackie Brown (1997), for which he received a Golden Globe nomination. Two years later, he starred in the science fiction horror film Deep Blue Sea.

Beginning with The Phantom Menace in 1999, Jackson played Mace Windu in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and he has reprised the role in later entries. In 2000, he had a leading role in the remake of Shaft. Also that year, he starred opposite Bruce Willis in the M. Night Shyamalan-directed Unbreakable. He returned to this role in Glass (2019). In 2004, he voiced Frozone in Pixar's The Incredibles and Officer Frank Tenpenny in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Jackson appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Nick Fury, starting in Iron Man (2008) and has reprised the role in ten films and three television series. In 2011, he starred opposite Tommy Lee Jones in The Sunset Limited, an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's play of the same name. The following year, he collaborated with Tarantino again on Django Unchained. He starred opposite Kurt Russell in The Hateful Eight (2015), also directed by Tarantino. In the latter half of the 2010s, Jackson starred in blockbuster films such as Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015) and Kong: Skull Island (2017).

Jackson has appeared in three stage productions. In the early 1980s, he performed in Off-Broadway productions of Mother Courage and Her Children and A Soldier's Play. From 2011 to 2012, he portrayed Martin Luther King Jr. in The Mountaintop on Broadway. Jackson has also lent his voice to six video games and two audiobooks. He received an Academy Honorary Award in 2022.

Film

+ YearTitleRoleNotes 1972 Together for Days Stan 1981 Ragtime Gang member No. 2 1987 Eddie Murphy Raw Magic Sticks Bum 1988 Coming to America Hold-Up Man School Daze Leeds 1989 Do the Right Thing Mister Señor Love Daddy Credited as Sam Jackson Sea of Love Black Guy 1990 Def by Temptation Ulysses Betsy's Wedding Taxi Dispatcher Mo' Better Blues Madlock Blind Dream Man Goodfellas Credited as Sam Jackson 1991 Strictly Business MonroeCredited as Sam Jackson Jungle Fever Gator Purify Jumpin' at the Boneyard Johnny Suede B-Bop 1992 Juice Trip Patriot Games White Sands Credited as Sam Jackson Fathers & Sons Marshall 1993 Menace II Society Loaded Weapon 1 Amos & Andrew Jurassic Park True Romance Big Don 1994 Fresh Sam Pulp Fiction Dale Hail Caesar Mailman Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker 1995 Kiss of Death Die Hard with a Vengeance Losing Isaiah Fluke Rumbo Voice 1996 Hard Eight Jimmy Trees Lounge Wendell 1997 One Eight Seven Eve's Bayou Also producer Jackie Brown Ordell Robbie 1998 Sphere Out of Sight Uncredited 1999 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace Deep Blue Sea 2000 Rules of Engagement Shaft Unbreakable 2001 Also executive producer The 51st State 2002 Changing Lanes Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones XXX No Good Deed 2003 Basic S.W.A.T. 2004 Twisted Kill Bill: Volume 2 Organ player Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair Organ player Voice In My Country Unforgivable Blackness Voice, documentary 2005 Coach Carter XXX: State of the Union Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith The Man 2006 Freedomland Snakes on a Plane Home of the Brave Black Snake Moan Lazarus Redd 2007 Farce of the Penguins Narrator 1408 Resurrecting the Champ Cleaner Also producer 2008 Jumper Iron Man Uncredited cameo; post-credits scene Star Wars: The Clone Wars Voice Lakeview Terrace Soul Men Louis The Spirit The Octopus Gospel Hill Uncredited 2009 Astro Boy Zog Voice Mother and Child Paul Inglourious Basterds Narrator 2010 Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey Voice Unthinkable Iron Man 2 The Other Guys 2011 African Cats Narrator Documentary Thor Uncredited cameo; post-credits scene Captain America: The First Avenger Arena Logan 2012 Foley Meeting Evil Richie The Avengers Zambezia Tendai Voice Django Unchained 2013 Turbo Whiplash Voice Oldboy Chaney 2014 Reasonable Doubt RoboCop Captain America: The Winter Soldier Kite Big Game 2015 Kingsman: The Secret Service Avengers: Age of Ultron Barely Lethal Hardman Chi-Raq Dolmedes The Hateful Eight 2016 Cell I Am Not Your Negro Narrator Voice, documentary Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Eating You Alive Himself Documentary 2017 XXX: Return of Xander Cage Kong: Skull Island Unicorn Store 2018Avengers: Infinity War Uncredited cameo; post-credits scene Incredibles 2 Voice Life Itself Himself 2019 Glass Captain Marvel Avengers: Endgame Cameo Shaft Spider-Man: Far From Home QT8: The First Eight Himself Documentary Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Cameo; voice 2020 Also executive producer 2021 Spiral: From the Book of Saw 2022 Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank Jimbo Voice Is That Black Enough for You?!? Himself Documentary 2023 The Kill Room Gordon The Marvels 2024 Argylle Alfred Solomon Damaged Dan Lawson ‘Damaged’: First Look At Samuel L. Jackson & Vincent Cassel In Thriller; Pre-Sales Closed For UK, Germany, More — Cannes Market The Garfield Movie Victor "Vic" Voice The Piano Lesson Doaker Charles The Unholy Trinity St. Christopher Pierce Brosnan, Samuel L. Jackson & Brandon Lessard Set For Western ‘Unholy Trinity’ Filming Under Interim Agreement 2025 Afterburn Valentine 2026 Just Play Dead Jack Wolfe scope="row" President of the United States Post-production 2027 scope="row"

Television

+ YearTitleRoleNotesRefs. 1976 Movin' On Patrolman Episode: "Woman of Steel" 1977 Sulk Television film 1978 Milo Muse the Rabbit 1986–1987 Spenser: For Hire Leroy Clancy / Ned 2 episodes 1987 Uncle Tom's Cabin Television film; credited as Samuel Jackson 1989 Dead Man Out HBO television movie; credited as Sam Jackson A Man Called Hawk Cutter Episode: "Intensive Care" The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd Brother Elvis Episode: "Here's Why You Should Always Make Your Bed in the Morning" 1991 Law & Order Episode: "The Violence of Summer" Roc Larry Episode: "Hearts and Diamonds" 1992 Ghostwriter Reggie Jenkins 3 episodes I'll Fly Away Walter Harper Episode: "Since Walter" 1994 Against the Wall Jamaal Television film 1995 Shaquille O'Neal: Larger than Life Narrator Documentary 1996 11th Independent Spirit Awards Himself (host) Television special 1997 12th Independent Spirit Awards Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Mayor of Hamelin Voice, episode: "The Pied Piper" 1998 Saturday Night Live Himself (host) Episode: "Samuel L. Jackson/Ben Folds Five" 1999 1999 ESPY Awards Television special 2001 Joseph Voice, episode: "Seven Days of Kwanzaa" 2001 ESPY Awards Himself (host) Television special 2002 2002 ESPY Awards Fighting for Freedom: Revolution & Civil War Narrator Documentary Himself (host) Television special Unchained Memories Narrator Documentary 2005 20th Independent Spirit Awards Himself (host) Television special Extras Himself Series 1, episode 5: "Samuel L. Jackson" 2005–2010 Voice, 3 episodes 2005 2005 Spike Video Game Awards Himself (host) Television special 2006 2006 Spike Video Game Awards Honor Deferred Narrator Documentary 2007 Afro Samurai Afro Samurai / Ninja Ninja Also producer, voice Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story Narrator Documentary 2007 Spike Video Game Awards Himself (host) Television special 2009 Afro Samurai: Resurrection Afro Samurai / Ninja Ninja Television film, voice 2009 ESPY Awards Himself (host) Television special Uneven Fairways Narrator Documentary 2011 Black Television film Prohibition Reader One episode Curiosity Himself (host) Episode: "How Will the World End?" 2012 BET Awards 2012 Himself (host) Television special 2012 Spike Video Game Awards 2013–2014 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Nick Fury 2 episodes 2014 Black Dynamite Captain Quinton Voice, episode: "Black Jaws or Finger Lickin' Chicken of the Sea" 2020 Staged Himself Episode: "Who The F**k is Michael Sheen?" Star Wars: The Clone Wars Mace Windu Voice, episode: "Shattered" (archive recording only) Himself Celebrity guest EnslavedDocumentary series Death to 2020 Television special 2021 Amend: The Fight for America Himself 2 episodes 2021–2024 What If...? / Sir Nicholas Fury Voice, 7 episodes 2022 The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey Ptolemy Grey Miniseries; also executive producer2023Secret Invasion Marvel Studios: Assembled Himself Episode: "The Making of Secret Invasion" 2024Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist Frank Moten Miniseries2025 Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Uncle Sam Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Voice, episode: "Shoot for the Moon" The American Revolution Caesar Sarter / Boston King / Lemuel Haynes / Flag Resolution Voice, TV documentary Tulsa King Russell Lee Washington Jr. 2 episodes 2026 The Boys Xander the Shark Voice, episode: "The Frenchman, the Female, and the Man Called Mother's Milk" Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness Voiceover Narrator 7 episodes scope="row" Russell Lee Washington Jr.

Theater + Year(s) Title Role Venue 1980 Mother Courage and Her Children Performer The Public Theater, Off-Broadway 1981–1983 Theatre Four, Off-Broadway 1987 The Piano Lesson Boy Willie Yale Repertory Theatre 2011–2012 The Mountaintop Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, Broadway 2022 The Piano Lesson Doaker Charles Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway

Music videos

+ YearTitleArtist(s) Role 1990 "911 Is a Joke" Public Enemy Father 1999 "It's Alright (Send Me)" Winans Phase 2 Himself 2006 "Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)" Cobra Starship featuring William Beckett, Travie McCoy and Maja Ivarsson Himself 2009 "Blame It" Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain Clubber 2024 "Electric Energy" Ariana DeBose, Boy George and Nile Rodgers Himself

Video games

+ YearTitleRoleNotes 2004 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas The Incredibles Lucius Best / Frozone Based on the movie The Incredibles: When Danger Calls 2009 Afro Samurai Afro Samurai / Ninja Ninja 2010 Heroes of Newerth Samuel Jackson announcer Unique read lines in purchasable pack Iron Man 2 Likeness 2011 Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars Mace Windu 2014 Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes Nick Fury 2015 Disney Infinity 3.02021 Marvel Super WarDownloadable announcer Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition Officer Frank Tenpenny Archival recordingsRemaster of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas only2025FortniteMace WinduLikenessJules Winnfield

Audiobooks + YearTitle 2011Go the Fuck to Sleep2012A Rage in Harlem

See also List of awards and nominations received by Samuel L. Jackson

Notes

References

External links